title: Race/Ethnicity and Health Care Communication: Does Patient-Provider Concordance Matter?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although many minority patients would prefer a provider of their own race/ethnicity, the influence of this relationship on patient-provider communication remains unknown. This analysis examined the effect of patient-provider race/ethnicity concordance on patient-reported provider communication quality using data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey years 2002-2012.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ordinary least squares regressions were executed on communication rating, measured by the Consumer Assessment of Health Providers and Systems.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Only 13.8% of black, non-Hispanic patients reported their usual source of care provider matched their race/ethnicity, compared with 94.4% of white, non-Hispanic patients and 43.8% of Hispanic patients. Differences in communication ratings were driven by patient race, rather than provider race. Although black, non-Hispanic patients rate their communication significantly higher than their counterparts overall, there was no significant influence of patient-provider racial concordance on ratings of communication when controlling for other sociodemographic variables.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Minorities may seek the services of minority providers, but they are not more satisfied with patient-provider communication experience than when in race-discordant provider arrangements.
authors.affiliation: *MGH Institute of Health Professions, Boston †Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA ‡Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, FL §Department of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR.
authors.forename: Casey F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Sweeney
authors.forename: Darren
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zinner
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rust
authors.forename: George E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Fryer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology; D003142:Communication; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction / Q000208:ethnology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D044469:Racial Groups / Q000523:psychology*; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult