title: Satisfaction with care: the role of patient-provider racial/ethnic concordance and interpersonal sensitivity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study examined how patients' satisfaction with their care is affected by racial/ethnic concordance and patients' perceived interpersonal sensitivity of their providers. The sample consisted of non-Hispanic Whites, African Americans/Blacks, Hispanics/Latinos, and Asian Americans age 50 and older.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data came from the population-based Commonwealth Fund 2001 Health Care Quality Survey (n=2,075). A hierarchical regression model of satisfaction was estimated for each racial/ethnic group with a sequential entry of variables: demographic and health-related variables, racial/ethnic concordance between patient and provider, and interpersonal sensitivity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The influence of patient-provider racial/ethnic concordance on satisfaction with care was negligible, but the influence of interpersonal sensitivity was substantial (p<.001) in all racial/ethnic groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Findings suggest that racial/ethnic concordance may not be universally effective for diverse older populations, but perceived interpersonal sensitivity of the provider has a strong influence on older adults' satisfaction with care regardless of their racial/ethnic background.
authors.affiliation: karonlphillips@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Karon L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Phillips
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Chiriboga
authors.forename: Yuri
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jang
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001213:Asian; D044383:Black People; D017028:Caregivers; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction / Q000208:ethnology*; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D044465:White People; D001741:Black or African American