TY - JOUR
T1 - Usual source of care and the quality of medical care experiences
T2 - A cross-sectional survey of patients from a taiwanese community
AU - Tsai, Jenna
AU - Shi, Leiyu
AU - Yu, Wei Lung
AU - Lebrun, Lydie A.
PY - 2010/7
Y1 - 2010/7
N2 - OBJECTIVE: This study used a recent patient survey to examine the relationship between having a usual source of care (USC) and the quality of ambulatory medical care experiences in Taiwan, where there is universal health insurance coverage. RESEARCH DESIGN, SUBJECTS, AND MEASURES: The study design was a cross-sectional survey of 879 patients in Taichung County, Taiwan. Children and adults visiting hospital-based physicians were included. Quality of care was measured using items from the Primary Care Assessment Tool (PCAT), representing 7 ambulatory medical care domains: first contact (ie, access and utilization), longitudinality (ie, ongoing care), coordination (ie, referrals and information systems), comprehensiveness (ie, services available and provided), family centeredness, community orientation, and cultural competence. USC was defined based on responses to 3 survey items from the PCAT. RESULTS: Having a USC was significantly associated with higher quality of medical care experiences. Specifically, having a USC was associated with improved accessibility and utilization, ongoing care, coordination of referrals, and healthcare providersfamily centeredness and cultural competence. However, having a USC was not strongly related with comprehensiveness of services, coordination of information systems, or healthcare providerscommunity orientation. CONCLUSION: In a region with universal health insurance, patients with a USC reported higher quality of medical care experiences compared with those without a USC. Beyond the provision of health insurance coverage, efforts to improve quality of care should include policies promoting USC.
AB - OBJECTIVE: This study used a recent patient survey to examine the relationship between having a usual source of care (USC) and the quality of ambulatory medical care experiences in Taiwan, where there is universal health insurance coverage. RESEARCH DESIGN, SUBJECTS, AND MEASURES: The study design was a cross-sectional survey of 879 patients in Taichung County, Taiwan. Children and adults visiting hospital-based physicians were included. Quality of care was measured using items from the Primary Care Assessment Tool (PCAT), representing 7 ambulatory medical care domains: first contact (ie, access and utilization), longitudinality (ie, ongoing care), coordination (ie, referrals and information systems), comprehensiveness (ie, services available and provided), family centeredness, community orientation, and cultural competence. USC was defined based on responses to 3 survey items from the PCAT. RESULTS: Having a USC was significantly associated with higher quality of medical care experiences. Specifically, having a USC was associated with improved accessibility and utilization, ongoing care, coordination of referrals, and healthcare providersfamily centeredness and cultural competence. However, having a USC was not strongly related with comprehensiveness of services, coordination of information systems, or healthcare providerscommunity orientation. CONCLUSION: In a region with universal health insurance, patients with a USC reported higher quality of medical care experiences compared with those without a USC. Beyond the provision of health insurance coverage, efforts to improve quality of care should include policies promoting USC.
KW - ambulatory care
KW - quality care
KW - usual source of care
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=77954088714&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=77954088714&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1097/MLR.0b013e3181dbdf76
DO - 10.1097/MLR.0b013e3181dbdf76
M3 - Article
C2 - 20548255
AN - SCOPUS:77954088714
SN - 0025-7079
VL - 48
SP - 628
EP - 634
JO - Medical care
JF - Medical care
IS - 7
ER -