An article appearing in the American Journal of Medical Quality used NRC Healthcare Market Guide data as the basis for a paper published in its July/August issue. The article, "Race/Ethnicity, Socioeconomic Status, and Satisfaction With Health Care" examines the effect of Race/Ethnicity and Socioeconomic Status on Healthcare satisfaction.

Eliminating disparity in Healthcare satisfaction and outcome is one of two primary goals of Healthy People 2010, a set of national health objectives for the years 2000 through 2010.  Healthy People 2010 builds on goals outlined in the 1979 Surgeon General's Report, "Healthy People, and Healthy People 2000: National Health Promotion and Disease Prevention". 

Using 2001 Healthcare Market Guide data on health plans, physicians, health facilities and health status, researchers analyzed that data by race/ethnicity and poverty status.  Race/Ethnicity was broken out into four sub-groups:  African American, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian/Pacific Islander, and Hispanic subgroups.  Poverty status was broken into four groups:  living in poverty, 200% poverty, 300% poverty, and 400%+ poverty.

Healthcare Market Guide questions on satisfaction with medical care, satisfaction with health plans, as well as "recommendation to family and friends" and "intent to switch plans."  In addition, researchers analyzed data from numerous questions on access to care and health plan services.

Their findings, based on the NRC Healthcare Market Guide and Consumer Assessments of Health Plans data, support reports of continuing racial/ethnic disparities.  The authors recommended that further improvement programs be targeted correct these disparities.
 

More information

To read the abstract go to
http://ajm.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/20/4/195

Healthy People 2010
http://www.healthypeople.gov