Usual source of care and the quality of medical care experiences: a cross-sectional survey of patients from a Taiwanese community.
OBJECTIVE
This study used a recent patient survey to examine the relationship between having a usual source of care (USC) and the quality of ambulatory medical care experiences in Taiwan, where there is universal health insurance coverage.


METHODS
The study design was a cross-sectional survey of 879 patients in Taichung County, Taiwan. Children and adults visiting hospital-based physicians were included. Quality of care was measured using items from the Primary Care Assessment Tool (PCAT), representing 7 ambulatory medical care domains: first contact (ie, access and utilization), longitudinality (ie, ongoing care), coordination (ie, referrals and information systems), comprehensiveness (ie, services available and provided), family centeredness, community orientation, and cultural competence. USC was defined based on responses to 3 survey items from the PCAT.


RESULTS
Having a USC was significantly associated with higher quality of medical care experiences. Specifically, having a USC was associated with improved accessibility and utilization, ongoing care, coordination of referrals, and healthcare providers' family centeredness and cultural competence. However, having a USC was not strongly related with comprehensiveness of services, coordination of information systems, or healthcare providers' community orientation.


CONCLUSIONS
In a region with universal health insurance, patients with a USC reported higher quality of medical care experiences compared with those without a USC. Beyond the provision of health insurance coverage, efforts to improve quality of care should include policies promoting USC.
Tsai
Jenna
J
College of General Education, Hungkuang University, Taichung County, Taiwan. jennatwang@gmail.com
Shi
Leiyu
L
Yu
Wei-Lung
WL
Lebrun
Lydie A
LA
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003266:Continuity of Patient Care / Q000592:standards; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000592:standards; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000592:standards; D011787:Quality of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology; D019472:Universal Health Insurance; D055815:Young Adult