Health care need and utilization: a preliminary comparison of injection drug users, other illicit drug users, and nonusers.
This paper investigates the relationship between chronic drug use and the health care system. Data from 536 African-American, Hispanic, and non-Hispanic White men and women were analyzed to determine independent risk factors for three outcome variables: 1) Need for health care treatment, 2) Utilization of health care treatment, and 3) Failure to receive needed treatment. Nine independent demographic, health, and drug-use history variables were assessed in logistic regression models. Chronic drug users were more likely in the past year to need health care treatment, were as likely to receive some health care treatment, and were more likely not to receive needed treatment than were nonusers.
Chitwood
D D
DD
Health Services Research Center, University of Miami, Florida 33146, USA.
McBride
D C
DC
French
M T
MT
Comerford
M
M
D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002908:Chronic Disease; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D005260:Female; D005431:Florida / Q000453:epidemiology; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006296:Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020380:Needs Assessment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012494:Sampling Studies; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology