Visits to Small Coastal Communities of Northern Norway by a Doctor and a Health Insurance Officer

Abstract

Visits to small coastal communities of Northern Norway by a doctor and a health insurance officer. Brevik, I. J. and Indrevoll, N. (Institute for Community Medicine, University of Tromsø, Norway).

What can we learn by visiting small remote communities, giving information about health insurance and social allowances, assisting clients in completing application forms, etc? In the present study we met attitudes that made some people bear numet needs instead of craving their legal rights. Our visits improved the communication between the people concerned and the Local Health Insurance Office. The officer realized what impairment might mean for working capacity in such communities, and got in a better position to handle various applications.