Differences in Access to Care Among Students Using School-Based Health Centers.
Health care reform has changed the landscape for the nation's health safety net, and school-based health centers (SBHCs) remain an important part of this system. However, few large-scale studies have been conducted to assess their impact on access to care. This study investigated differences in access among a nationally representative sample of adolescent SBHC users. An analysis using multivariate logistic regression examined the association between student characteristics and access to care. We found no differences based on race/ethnicity or insurance status among adolescent SBHC users; however, we did observe significant differences with regard to unmet health needs. School nurses serve as invaluable frontline staff who can facilitate equitable access to care, provide high-quality primary care, coordinate care for students with community health services, and advocate for policy and funding support of SBHCs as a critical part of the safety net for underserved adolescents.
Division of General Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA srane1@jhmi.edu.
Sarika Rane
SR
Parasuraman
Department of Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Leiyu
L
Shi
D000293:Adolescent; D016497:Adolescent Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012572:School Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013334:Students
access to care; adolescent health; disparities; logistic regression; school health