Patient reports of the quality of care in community health centers: the importance of having a regular provider.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the importance of having a regular provider in community health centers (CHCs) for high quality care.


METHODS
Analyses of a national survey-the Commonwealth Fund 2006 Health care Quality Survey-among patients with a private doctor's (PMD) office (n=1,743) or CHC (n=275) as their regular source of care. Outcomes include prevention measures, and measures of patient experience.


RESULTS
Patients at CHCs are less likely than patients who use a PMD to report having a regular doctor (53% vs. 95%, p<or=.001). They also report lower rates for all the preventive care and patient experience measures. However, the differences in quality are eliminated when CHC patients have a regular provider.


CONCLUSIONS
When CHC patients have a regular provider, they receive higher quality care. Policymakers should support expansions of the CHC health care workforce to ensure patients have access to a regular provider, which leads to higher quality care.
Beal
Anne
A
The Aetna Foundation, Hartford, Conn., USA. BealA@Aetna.com
Hernandez
Susan
S
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003151:Community Health Centers / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011314:Preventive Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011331:Private Practice; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D000078329:Workforce; D055815:Young Adult