title: Using standardized encounters to understand reported racial/ethnic disparities in patient experiences with care.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the extent to which racial/ethnic differences in ratings of patient experiences with health care represent true differences versus differences in expectations, how scales are used, or how identical physician-patient interactions are perceived by members of different groups.
  
  
  METHODS
  Primary data collection from a nationally representative online panel (n=567), including white, African American, and Latino respondents.
  
  
  METHODS
  We administered questions on expectations of care, a series of written vignettes, a video-depicted doctor-patient interaction, and modified CAHPS Clinician and Group Doctor Communication items.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Different groups reported generally similar expectations regarding physicians' behaviors and provided similar mean responses to CAHPS communication items in response to standardized encounters.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Preliminary evidence suggests that unlike more subjective global ratings, reported disparities in more specific and objective CAHPS composites may primarily reflect differences in experiences, rather than differences in expectations and scale use, adding to our confidence in using the latter to assess disparities.
authors.affiliation: The RAND Corporation, Arlington VA 22202, USA. rweinick@rand.org
authors.forename: Robin M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Weinick
authors.forename: Marc N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Elliott
authors.forename: Angelo E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Volandes
authors.forename: Lenny
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lopez
authors.forename: Q
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Burkhart
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schlesinger
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology; D000368:Aged; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D054625:Healthcare Disparities; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D010820:Physicians / Q000592:standards; D044469:Racial Groups / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014741:Video Recording; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult