ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that state to an examination of one aspect of sick role behavior-health care utilization or seeking professional assistance once a person has been determined to be sick and in need of help. It presents the opportunity to examine one dimension of sick role behavior, that of using health care services when a need for such services is felt to exist and addresses another facet of sick role behavior-variations in behavior as patients. Utilization research may help interested parties ascertain whether the use of a health care facility or a larger system is basically equitable, based on medical need rather than on extraneous factors. The most important contribution of the line of research has been its emphasis on trying to link utilization actions with health status indicators, individual attitudes, demographic factors, and social group structure. The basic approach and logic of the psychological distress model is quite at variance with those of the models presented thus far.
