Tracking Report No. 2

Untitled Document

Supplementary Table 2. Access to care, preventive care, and trust in doctors among African American, Latino, and white persons, 1997-2001

Note: Among all variables that indicate access to care, having a regular health care provider reveals the most significant racial gap between whites and other races for all three rounds. Racial disparity in access to care seems to spill over to elderly receiving flu shots but not as much to women over 40 obtaining mammogram exams. However, African Americans catch up with Whites in having mammogram exams while Hispanics still trail behind. Access to care and preventive care may influence one’s attitude toward physicians or vice versa. From this table, Hispanics are less likely to trust physicians than all other races.

1997

1999

2001

Reported unmet medical needs African American
6.5^a

6.5

6.8

Latino
7.5^a

6.9

7.3^a

White
5.3

6.0^*

5.9^#

Has a regular health care provider African American
63.9^a ^b

65.5^a ^b

64.4^a ^b

Latino
59.6^a

56.2^* ^a

55.4^# ^a

White
74.8

73.9^*

75.2^*

Had a doctor visit in the last 12 months African American
74.6^a ^b

77.4^* ^b

74.1^* ^a ^b

Latino
62.0^a

65.5^* ^a

62.2^* ^a

White
77.6

78.4^*

79.1^#

Proportion of visits with health care providers in the emergency room African American
10.4^a ^b

10.7^a ^b

9.6*^a ^b

Latino
7.4

6.8

7.8^a

White
6.8

6.8

6.6

Last doctor visit was to a specialist African American
26.0^b

23.4^* ^a

24.4^a

Latino
23.2^a

25.1

23.3^a

White
27.5

27.7

27.7

Women over 40 who had a mammogram in the last 2 years African American
63.0^a

68.3^*

72.4^* ^# ^b

Latino
63.8^a

67.7

65.9^a

White
68.3

71.5^*

74.1^* ^#

People over 65 who had a flu shot last year African American
47.6^a

49.8^a

47.9^a

Latino
52.6^a

54.9^a

52.7

White
65.6

68.8^*

64.7^*

Agrees that doctor puts medical needs above all other considerations African American
65.5^b

69.3^* ^a ^b

68.6^* ^# ^b

Latino
60.9^a

61.0^a

63.8^a

White
66.4

67.0

68.9^* ^#

Source: Community Tracking Study Household Surveys, 1997-2001
* Change from previous round is statistically significant at p<.05
# Change from 1996-97 to 2000-01 is statistically significant at p<.05
a African Americans or Latinos were different from whites in the same year
b African Americans were different from Latinos in the same year.

		1997	1999	2001
Reported unmet medical needs	African American	6.5^a	6.5	6.8
	Latino	7.5^a	6.9	7.3^a
	White	5.3	6.0^*	5.9^#
Has a regular health care provider	African American	63.9^a ^b	65.5^a ^b	64.4^a ^b
	Latino	59.6^a	56.2^* ^a	55.4^# ^a
	White	74.8	73.9^*	75.2^*
Had a doctor visit in the last 12 months	African American	74.6^a ^b	77.4^* ^b	74.1^* ^a ^b
	Latino	62.0^a	65.5^* ^a	62.2^* ^a
	White	77.6	78.4^*	79.1^#
Proportion of visits with health care providers in the emergency room	African American	10.4^a ^b	10.7^a ^b	9.6*^a ^b
	Latino	7.4	6.8	7.8^a
	White	6.8	6.8	6.6
Last doctor visit was to a specialist	African American	26.0^b	23.4^* ^a	24.4^a
	Latino	23.2^a	25.1	23.3^a
	White	27.5	27.7	27.7
Women over 40 who had a mammogram in the last 2 years	African American	63.0^a	68.3^*	72.4^* ^# ^b
	Latino	63.8^a	67.7	65.9^a
	White	68.3	71.5^*	74.1^* ^#
People over 65 who had a flu shot last year	African American	47.6^a	49.8^a	47.9^a
	Latino	52.6^a	54.9^a	52.7
	White	65.6	68.8^*	64.7^*
Agrees that doctor puts medical needs above all other considerations	African American	65.5^b	69.3^* ^a ^b	68.6^* ^# ^b
	Latino	60.9^a	61.0^a	63.8^a
	White	66.4	67.0	68.9^* ^#
Source: Community Tracking Study Household Surveys, 1997-2001 * Change from previous round is statistically significant at p<.05 # Change from 1996-97 to 2000-01 is statistically significant at p<.05 a African Americans or Latinos were different from whites in the same year b African Americans were different from Latinos in the same year.