Abstract
Objectives: To examine disparities in use and access to different health care providers by community and individual race-ethnicity and to test provider supply as a potential mediator. Data Sources: National secondary data from 2014 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, 5-year estimates (2010–2014) from American Community Survey, and 2014 InfoUSA. Study Design: Multiple logistic regression models examined the association of community and individual race-ethnicity with reported health care visits and access. Mediation analyses tested the role of provider supply. Data Extraction Methods: Individual-level survey data were linked to race-ethnic composition and health business counts of the respondent’s primary care service area (PCSA). Principal Findings: Minority PCSAs are significantly and independently associated with lower odds of having a visit to a physician assistant/nurse practitioner, dentist, or other health professionals and having a usual care provider (all p < 0.05). Few significant associations were observed for integrated PCSAs or for health provider supply. A modest mediation effect for provider supply was observed for travel time to usual care provider and visit to other health professionals. Conclusions: Use of a range of health services is lower in minority communities and individuals. However, provider supply was not an important explanatory factor of these disparities.
Original language | English (US) |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 539-549 |
Number of pages | 11 |
Journal | Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities |
Volume | 7 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jun 1 2020 |
Keywords
- Ethnic
- Health care disparities
- Health care provider supply
- Racial
- Segregation
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Health(social science)
- Anthropology
- Sociology and Political Science
- Health Policy
- Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health