Specialty Care Use in US Patients with Chronic Diseases

• Main Authors: Saundra H. Glover, Edith Williams, Qiang Cheng, Patrick A. Rivers, Rahnuma M. Hassan, Jessica D. Bellinger
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2010-03-01
• Series: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
• Subjects: specialty care; health disparities; chronic disease
• Online Access: http://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/7/3/975/

Despite efforts to eliminate health disparities, racial, ethnic, and geographic groups continue lag behind their counterparts in health outcomes in the United States. The purpose of this study is to determine variation in specialty care utilization by chronic disease status. Data were extracted from the Commonwealth Fund 2006 Health Care Quality Survey (n = 2475). A stratified minority sample design was employed to ensure a representative sample. Logistic regression was used in analyses to predict specialty care utilization in the sample. Poor perceived health, minority status, and lack of insurance was associated with reduced specialty care use and chronic disease diagnosis.