The heart of the matter: the relationship between communities, cardiovascular services, and racial and ethnic gaps in care.
Racial and ethnic disparities in cardiovascular care are greatly influenced by market factors and how the health care system is organized. This study examines key health system factors that contribute to disparities in cardiac care among racial and ethnic minorities in the United States. A market assessment, consisting of site visits, interviews, and data collection from key health care providers in 10 communities, was undertaken to identify common characteristics in the health care markets and to explore how these factors may drive disparities in cardiac care.
George Washington University Department of Health Policy, School of Public Health and Health Services, Washington, DC 20037, USA. khmead@gwu.edu
Holly
H
Mead
Marsha
M
Regenstein
Anthony
A
Lara
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000628:therapy; D003153:Community Health Services / Q000592:standards*; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000592:standards*; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D054625:Healthcare Disparities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008484:Medicaid / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017057:Medically Uninsured / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014478:Unemployment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014481:United States