Table 3.
Initial and final responses to the question of whether some groups of patients should have more or less priority for treatment than others. Values are percentages (numbers) of 60 respondents; responses of remaining respondents were that the same priority should be given to that group
| Characteristic of group | Initial response
|
Final response
|
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lower priority | Higher priority | Lower priority | Higher priority | ||
| Children | 70 (42) | 2 (1) | 2 (1) | 62 (37) | |
| Illegal drug users | 57 (34) | 8 (5) | 43 (26)* | 3 (2) | |
| Smokers | 57 (34) | 0 | 32 (19)* | 0 | |
| Heavy drinkers | 55 (33) | 3 (2) | 37 (19)* | 2 (1) | |
| Disabled | 0 | 48 (29) | 0 | 35 (21) | |
| Elderly | 7 (4) | 47 (28) | 5 (3)* | 27 (16) | |
| Private health insurance | 30 (18) | 2 (1) | 33 (20) | 2 (1) | |
| With children | 2 (1) | 30 (18) | 3 (2) | 20 (12) | |
| Unhealthy diet | 23 (14) | 7 (4) | 17 (10) | 5 (3) | |
| Rich | 20 (12) | 0 | 23 (14) | 0 | |
| Rarely exercise | 17 (10) | 0 | 20 (12) | 0 | |
| Poor | 0 | 17 (10) | 0 | 10 (6) | |
| Low education | 0 | 15 (9) | 2 (1) | 8 (5) | |
| Homosexual | 13 (8) | 0 | 10 (6) | 0 | |
| Important | 13 (8) | 0 | 5 (3) | 0 | |
| Women | 0 | 7 (4) | 0 | 3 (2) | |
| Married | 0 | 5 (3) | 2 (1) | 0 | |
| Contributed a lot | 2 (1) | 3 (2) | 2 (1) | 2 (1) | |
| Unemployed | 0 | 3 (2) | 0 | 3 (2) | |
| White | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Men | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 (2) | |
Lower priority=“less” or “much less” priority; higher priority=“more” or “much more” priority
*
P<0.01 compared with initial responses.