Primary and specialty medical care among ethnically diverse, older rural adults with type 2 diabetes: the ELDER Diabetes Study.
OBJECTIVE
Residents in rural communities in the United States, especially ethnic minority group members, have limited access to primary and specialty health care that is critical for diabetes management. This study examines primary and specialty medical care utilization among a rural, ethnically diverse, older adult population with diabetes.


METHODS
Data were drawn from a cross-sectional face-to-face survey of randomly selected African American (n=220), Native American (n=181), and white (n=297) Medicare beneficiaries > or =65 years old with diabetes in 2 rural counties in central North Carolina. Participants were asked about utilization of a primary care doctor and of specialists (nutritionist, diabetes specialist, eye doctor, bladder specialist, kidney specialist, heart specialist, foot specialist) in the past year.


RESULTS
Virtually all respondents (99.0%) reported having a primary care doctor and seeing that doctor in the past year. About 42% reported seeing a doctor for diabetes-related care. On average, participants reported seeing 2 specialists in the past year, and 54% reported i seeing >1 specialist. Few reported seeing a diabetes specialist (5.7%), nutritionist (10.9%), or kidney specialist (17.5%). African Americans were more likely than others to report seeing a foot specialist (P < .01), while men were more likely than women to have seen bladder specialist (P = .02), kidney specialist (P = .001), and heart specialist (P = .004), after adjusting for potential confounders. Predictors of the number of specialists seen include gender, education, poverty status, diabetes medication use, and self-rated health.


CONCLUSIONS
These data indicate low utilization of specialty diabetes care providers across ethnic groups and reflect the importance of primary care providers in diabetes care in rural areas.
Bell
Ronny A
RA
Department of Public Health Sciences, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157-1063, USA. rbell@wfubmc.edu
Quandt
Sara A
SA
Arcury
Thomas A
TA
Snively
Beverly M
BM
Stafford
Jeanette M
JM
Smith
Shannon L
SL
Skelly
Anne H
AH
D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000191:economics / Q000208:ethnology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005843:Geography; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006299:Health Services for the Aged / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007198:Indians, North American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D006278:Medicare / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008511:Medicine / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009657:North Carolina / Q000453:epidemiology; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019035:Rural Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013038:Specialization; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*