Association of mobility limitations with health care satisfaction and use of preventive care: a survey of Medicare beneficiaries.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the association between satisfaction with health care, the use of preventive health care, and mobility limitation.


METHODS
Cross-sectional analysis of survey data.


METHODS
Community.


METHODS
A total of 12,769 people, age greater than 65, who participated in the 2001 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey.


METHODS
Not applicable.


METHODS
Self-report of mobility limitation, satisfaction, and use of preventive health care (immunizations, cancer screening). Sampling weights were used in all analyses, including logistic regression for survey data, to calculate estimates for a Medicare population of 31 million.


RESULTS
After controlling for sociodemographic characteristics, Medicare beneficiaries with mobility limitations were significantly more dissatisfied with their health care compared with beneficiaries without mobility limitations. Receipt of preventive care did not differ for those with and without mobility limitation on some preventive services.


CONCLUSIONS
Mobility limitation is highly associated with dissatisfaction with health care among older adult beneficiaries. Although Medicare beneficiaries may receive similar rates of preventive care, those with mobility limitation may have more difficulty accessing services and be more dissatisfied with their health care in general.
Hoffman
Jeanne M
JM
Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-6490, USA. jeanneh@u.washington.edu
Shumway-Cook
Anne
A
Yorkston
Kathryn M
KM
Ciol
Marcia A
MA
Dudgeon
Brian J
BJ
Chan
Leighton
L
D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D006278:Medicare; D051346:Mobility Limitation; D017060:Patient Satisfaction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011314:Preventive Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011787:Quality of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016138:Walking