Measuring the primary care experiences of low-income and minority patients.
This article describes a community-based survey of patients' experiences in community and migrant health centers that was designed to (1) develop a method to measure patients' experiences and (2) create a national database of patient experiences. The project succeeded in surveying the most difficult-to-reach poor and minority populations (mainly Medicaid and uninsured populations) in medically underserved areas, although more than 10% lack ready access to a telephone, another 22% do not speak English well enough to be interviewed in English, and many have limited literacy. We analyzed the responses from 3 perspectives: (1) demographics and health status, (2) dimensions of care, and (3) patient progress through the community and migrant health center system.
Zuvekas
A
A
Center for Health Services Research and Policy, George Washington University Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA.
McNamara
K
K
Bernstein
C
C
D003151:Community Health Centers / Q000592:standards*; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008484:Medicaid; D008913:Minority Groups / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D018802:Patient-Centered Care; D011203:Poverty / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000592:standards*; D014481:United States