Race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and satisfaction with health care.
The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effects of race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status on consumer health care satisfaction ratings. The authors analyzed national data from the 2001 National Research Corporation Healthcare Market Guide Survey (N = 99 102). Four global and 3 composite ratings were examined. In general, satisfaction ratings were high across all global and composite measures; however, Asian/Pacific Islanders and Hispanics gave lower ratings than did whites, and African Americans gave a mix of higher and lower ratings (vs whites). Among the lowest ratings were those given by American Indians/Alaska Natives living in poverty. Race/ethnicity effects were independent of education and income. These findings are consistent with reports of continuing racial/ethnic disparities in both coverage and care. Programs to improve quality of care must specifically address these well-documented, severe, and persistent disparities.
Haviland
Mark G
MG
Department of Psychiatry, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, CA 92354-3842, USA. mhaviland@som.llu.edu
Morales
Leo S
LS
Dial
Thomas H
TH
Pincus
Harold Alan
HA
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003258:Consumer Behavior / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003625:Data Collection; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D044469:Racial Groups; D012923:Social Class; D014481:United States