Skip Navigation U.S. Department of Health and Human Services www.hhs.gov
Agency for Healthcare Research Quality www.ahrq.gov
AHRQ Home—Live Site | Archive Home | Site Map
Archive print banner
National Healthcare Disparities Report, 2003

This information is for reference purposes only. It was current when produced and may now be outdated. Archive material is no longer maintained, and some links may not work. Persons with disabilities having difficulty accessing this information should contact us at: https://info.ahrq.gov. Let us know the nature of the problem, the Web address of what you want, and your contact information.

Please go to www.ahrq.gov for current information.

Socioeconomic Differences in Patients' Perceptions

Measure Income Difference[1] Educational Difference[2] Insurance Difference[3]
  <100% 100-199% 200-399% <HS HS Grad Uninsured
Patient-Provider Communication
People with provider who generally listens and gives needed information about health/health care[4] Selected population and comparison population have about the same access to health care Selected population and comparison population have about the same access to health care Selected population and comparison population have about the same access to health care Selected population has worse access than the comparison population Selected population has worse access than the comparison population Selected population and comparison population have about the same access to health care
People with provider who usually asks about medications and treatments other doctors may give4 Selected population and comparison population have about the same access to health care Selected population and comparison population have about the same access to health care Selected population and comparison population have about the same access to health care Selected population and comparison population have about the same access to health care Selected population and comparison population have about the same access to health care Selected population has better access than the comparison population
Adults whose providers always listened carefully[5] Selected population and comparison population have about the same access to health care Selected population and comparison population have about the same access to health care Selected population and comparison population have about the same access to health care Selected population has better access than the comparison population Selected population and comparison population have about the same access to health care Selected population and comparison population have about the same access to health care
Adults whose providers always explained things in a way they could understand5 Selected population and comparison population have about the same access to health care Selected population and comparison population have about the same access to health care Selected population and comparison population have about the same access to health care Selected population and comparison population have about the same access to health care Selected population and comparison population have about the same access to health care Selected population has worse access than the comparison population
Adults whose providers always showed respect for what they had to say5 Selected population and comparison population have about the same access to health care Selected population and comparison population have about the same access to health care Selected population and comparison population have about the same access to health care Selected population and comparison population have about the same access to health care Selected population and comparison population have about the same access to health care Selected population and comparison population have about the same access to health care
Adults with one or more indicators of poor communication at their last visit[6] Selected population has worse access than the comparison population Selected population has worse access than the comparison population Selected population has worse access than the comparison population Selected population has worse access than the comparison population Selected population and comparison population have about the same access to health care Selected population has worse access than the comparison population
Patient-Provider Relationship            
People not satisfied with quality of care from provider4 Selected population and comparison population have about the same access to health care Selected population and comparison population have about the same access to health care Selected population and comparison population have about the same access to health care Selected population and comparison population have about the same access to health care Selected population and comparison population have about the same access to health care Selected population and comparison population have about the same access to health care
People not confident in provider's help when they have a medical problem4 Selected population has worse access than the comparison population Selected population and comparison population have about the same access to health care Selected population and comparison population have about the same access to health care Selected population and comparison population have about the same access to health care Selected population and comparison population have about the same access to health care Selected population and comparison population have about the same access to health care
Adults whose providers always spent enough time5 Selected population and comparison population have about the same access to health care Selected population and comparison population have about the same access to health care Selected population and comparison population have about the same access to health care Selected population has better access than the comparison population Selected population and comparison population have about the same access to health care Selected population and comparison population have about the same access to health care
Adults who rate their health care in the past year <6 on a scale from 0 to 105 Selected population has worse access than the comparison population Selected population has worse access than the comparison population Selected population has worse access than the comparison population Selected population has worse access than the comparison population Selected population has worse access than the comparison population Selected population has worse access than the comparison population
Adults not treated with a great deal of dignity and respect6 Selected population has worse access than the comparison population Selected population has worse access than the comparison population Selected population and comparison population have about the same access to health care Selected population and comparison population have about the same access to health care Selected population and comparison population have about the same access to health care Selected population has worse access than the comparison population
Adults not involved as much as wanted in decision-making6 Selected population has worse access than the comparison population Selected population has worse access than the comparison population Selected population has worse access than the comparison population Selected population and comparison population have about the same access to health care Selected population and comparison population have about the same access to health care Selected population has worse access than the comparison population
Adults who did not have as much time as wanted with doctor6 Selected population has worse access than the comparison population Selected population and comparison population have about the same access to health care Selected population and comparison population have about the same access to health care Selected population and comparison population have about the same access to health care Selected population and comparison population have about the same access to health care Selected population has worse access than the comparison population
Adults with incident in past 2 years when they did not follow doctor's advice6 Selected population and comparison population have about the same access to health care Selected population and comparison population have about the same access to health care Selected population and comparison population have about the same access to health care Selected population and comparison population have about the same access to health care Selected population has better access than the comparison population Selected population and comparison population have about the same access to health care
Adults with family member who got sick due to doctor or hospital mistake6 Selected population and comparison population have about the same access to health care Selected population and comparison population have about the same access to health care Selected population and comparison population have about the same access to health care Selected population and comparison population have about the same access to health care Selected population and comparison population have about the same access to health care Selected population has worse access than the comparison population
Cultural Competency6            
Adults who believe would have gotten better care if different race/ethnicity Selected population has worse access than the comparison population Selected population has worse access than the comparison population Selected population and comparison population have about the same access to health care Selected population has worse access than the comparison population Selected population and comparison population have about the same access to health care Selected population has worse access than the comparison population
Adults who felt treated with disrespect because of race/ethnicity Selected population has worse access than the comparison population Selected population has worse access than the comparison population Selected population has worse access than the comparison population Selected population has worse access than the comparison population Selected population and comparison population have about the same access to health care Selected population has worse access than the comparison population
Adults who do not strongly agree that doctor understands background and values Selected population and comparison population have about the same access to health care Selected population and comparison population have about the same access to health care Selected population and comparison population have about the same access to health care Selected population has better access than the comparison population Selected population and comparison population have about the same access to health care Selected population has worse access than the comparison population

Socioeconomic Differences in Ability of Provider to Address Patient Needs (continued)

Measure Income Difference[7] Educational Difference[8] Insurance Difference[9]
  <100% 100-199% 200-399% <HS HS Grad Uninsured
Health Information[10]
Adults who do not find prescription bottle very easy to understand Selected population has worse access than the comparison population Selected population has worse access than the comparison population Selected population and comparison population have about the same access to health care Selected population has worse access than the comparison population Selected population and comparison population have about the same access to health care Selected population has worse access than the comparison population
Adults who do not find information from doctor's office very easy to understand Selected population has worse access than the comparison population Selected population has worse access than the comparison population Selected population has worse access than the comparison population Selected population has worse access than the comparison population Selected population has worse access than the comparison population Selected population has worse access than the comparison population
Adults who do not use Web for health information Selected population has worse access than the comparison population Selected population has worse access than the comparison population Selected population has worse access than the comparison population Selected population has worse access than the comparison population Selected population has worse access than the comparison population Selected population has worse access than the comparison population
Adults who do not use printed material for health information Selected population has worse access than the comparison population Selected population has worse access than the comparison population Selected population has worse access than the comparison population Selected population has worse access than the comparison population Selected population has worse access than the comparison population Selected population has worse access than the comparison population
Adults who do not call doctor for health information Selected population has worse access than the comparison population Selected population and comparison population have about the same access to health care Selected population and comparison population have about the same access to health care Selected population has worse access than the comparison population Selected population has worse access than the comparison population Selected population has worse access than the comparison population
Key to Quality of Health Care Tables
Selected population and comparison population have about the same access to health care: Selected population and comparison population have about the same access to health care
Selected population has better access than the comparison population: Selected population has better access than the comparison population
Selected population has worse access than the comparison population: Selected population has worse access than the comparison population
Data are collected but do not meet criteria for statistical reliability: Data are collected but do not meet criteria for statistical reliability"/>

[1] Compared with persons with family incomes 400% of federal poverty thresholds or above.

[2] Compared with persons with any college education.

[3] Compared with person under 65 with any private health insurance.

[4] Source: MEPS, 1999.

[5] Source: MEPS, 2000.

[6]> Source: Commonwealth Fund Health Care Quality Survey, 2001.

[7] Compared with persons with family incomes 400% of federal poverty thresholds or above.

[8] Compared with persons with any college education.

[9] Compared with person under 65 with any private health insurance.

[10] Source: Commonwealth Fund Health Care Quality Survey, 2001.

Return to Document

 

The information on this page is archived and provided for reference purposes only.

 
AHRQ Advancing Excellence in Health Care