UNASSIGNED: A cross-sectional online survey assessed 1485 adults (Hispanic=314, Asian=313, Black=316, White=542, recruited through a panel agency) of the frequency of visiting primary care providers, dentists, optometrists, gynecologists, and specialists for chronic conditions. Participants also rated the importance of self-selecting a HCP and difficulty in finding one.
UNASSIGNED: Whites visited each HCP most regularly. Compared to Asians, more Hispanics saw specialists regularly (45.1% vs 56.5%, p=0.042), and Blacks saw dentists less (47.0% vs 38.3%, p=0.028) and gynecologists more often (21.2% vs 33.1%, p=0.024). No other frequency differences were observed among minorities. Low-income participants across four races saw dentists and gynecologists with comparable infrequency. Hispanics and Asians assigned similarly significantly lower self-choice importance and experienced more difficulty relative to Whites or Blacks. Participants with lower income or education visited HCPs less regularly yet perceived the same choice importance as higher-SES peers (p>0.05). Notably, discrepancies in visit frequency between Whites and minorities were more pronounced in higher-SES than lower-SES group. Differences in experiencing care-seeking difficulty were associated with income (p=0.029) and insurance type (p=0.009) but not education (p>0.05).
UNASSIGNED: Higher income and education increase healthcare utilization; however, racial disparities persist, particularly among higher-SES groups. Despite similarities among minorities, the extent of disparities varied by SES and provider type. The findings help explain evident inequity in healthcare access and health outcomes. Tailored patient education, culturally-specific navigation support, and more inclusive services are needed to address barriers faced by minorities and disadvantaged populations.
■一项横断面在线调查评估了1485名成年人(西班牙裔=314,亚洲裔=313,黑人=316,白人=542,通过小组机构招募)访问初级保健提供者的频率,牙医,验光师,妇科医生,和慢性病专家。参与者还评估了自我选择HCP的重要性和找到HCP的难度。
■白人最经常访问每个HCP。与亚洲人相比,更多的西班牙裔人定期看专家(45.1%对56.5%,p=0.042),黑人看牙医的次数较少(47.0%vs38.3%,p=0.028)和妇科医生更常见(21.2%vs33.1%,p=0.024)。在少数民族之间没有观察到其他频率差异。四个种族的低收入参与者看到牙医和妇科医生的频率相当低。相对于白人或黑人,西班牙裔和亚洲人的自我选择重要性也明显较低,并且经历了更多的困难。收入或受教育程度较低的参与者访问HCP的时间较少,但与SES较高的同龄人具有相同的选择重要性(p>0.05)。值得注意的是,在SES较高的人群中,白人和少数族裔的就诊频率差异更为明显。经历寻求护理困难的差异与收入(p=0.029)和保险类型(p=0.009)有关,但与教育无关(p>0.05)。
■更高的收入和教育提高了医疗保健利用率;然而,种族差异持续存在,特别是在较高的SES群体中。尽管少数民族之间有相似之处,差异的程度因SES和提供者类型而异。这些发现有助于解释医疗保健获取和健康结果方面的明显不平等。量身定制的患者教育,特定文化的导航支持,需要提供更具包容性的服务,以解决少数群体和弱势群体面临的障碍。