Ethnic inequalities in access to and outcomes of healthcare: analysis of the Health Survey for England.
BACKGROUND
Ethnic/racial inequalities in access to and quality of healthcare have been repeatedly documented in the USA. Although there is some evidence of inequalities in England, research is not so extensive. Ethnic inequalities in use of primary and secondary health services, and in outcomes of care, were examined in England.


METHODS
Four waves of the Health Survey for England were analysed, a representative population survey with ethnic minority oversamples. Outcome measures included use of primary and secondary healthcare services and clinical outcomes of care (controlled, uncontrolled and undiagnosed) for three conditions - hypertension, raised cholesterol and diabetes.


RESULTS
Ethnic minority respondents were not less likely to use GP services. For example, the adjusted odds ratios for Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi versus white respondents were 1.29 (95% confidence intervals 1.07 to 1.54), 1.32 (1.10 to 1.58) and 1.35 (1.10 to 1.65) respectively. Similarly, there were no ethnic inequalities for the clinical outcomes of care for hypertension and raised cholesterol, and, on the whole, no inequalities in outcomes of care for diabetes. There were ethnic inequalities in access to hospital services, and marked inequalities in use of dental care.


CONCLUSIONS
Ethnic inequalities in access to healthcare and the outcomes of care for three conditions (hypertension, raised cholesterol and diabetes), for which treatment is largely provided in primary care, appear to be minimal in England. Although inequalities may exist for other conditions and other healthcare settings, particularly internationally, the implication is that ethnic inequalities in healthcare are minimal within NHS primary care.
Nazroo
J Y
JY
School of Social Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK. james.nazroo@manchester.ac.uk
Falaschetti
E
E
Pierce
M
M
Primatesta
P
P
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003153:Community Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003752:Dental Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000208:ethnology / Q000628:therapy*; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006306:Health Surveys; D054625:Healthcare Disparities; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000208:ethnology / Q000628:therapy*; D006973:Hypertension / Q000208:ethnology / Q000628:therapy*; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008913:Minority Groups / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016896:Treatment Outcome