National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report
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Topics
- (-) Access to Care (38)
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- Telehealth (3)
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´óÏóAPPResearch Studies
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Research Studies is a compilation of published research articles funded by ´óÏóAPPor authored by ´óÏóAPPresearchers.
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1 to 25 of 38 Research Studies DisplayedArredondo K, Hughes AM, Lester HF
Churning the tides of care: when nurse turnover makes waves in patient access to primary care.
A study of Veterans Health Administration primary care teams examined how registered nurse (RN) staffing stability affects patient access to care. The research analyzed data from 5,897 Patient Aligned Care Teams across 152 facilities over 24 months. Continuous RN turnover significantly impacted appointment availability, while temporary staffing gaps showed less effect. Team characteristics, including size and overall stability, influenced healthcare access. The findings highlight the importance of RN retention in maintaining effective primary care delivery.
AHRQ-funded; HS025982.
Citation: Arredondo K, Hughes AM, Lester HF .
Churning the tides of care: when nurse turnover makes waves in patient access to primary care.
BMC Nurs 2024 Oct 10; 23(1):739. doi: 10.1186/s12912-024-02389-8.
Keywords: Access to Care, Primary Care, Provider: Nurse, Workforce
Graetz I, Huang J, Gopalan A
Primary care telemedicine and care continuity: implications for timeliness and short-term follow-up healthcare.
This study’s objective was to examine the association between primary care visit modality with timeliness and follow-up in-person healthcare, including variation by visits with the patient's own primary care physician (PCP) versus another PCP. This cohort study looked at timeliness (visit completed within 7 days of scheduling) and in-person follow-up (PCP visits, emergency department (ED) visits, hospitalizations) within 7 days of the index PCP visit. Of the 4.817,317 primary care visits, 59% were in-person, 27% audio-only, and 14% video telemedicine with most (71.3%) with the patients’ own PCP. Return office visit rates and follow-up ED visits differed. For the patient’s own PCP, return office visit rates were 1.2% for in-person, 5.3% for video, and 6.1% for audio-only. For a different PCP, rates were 2.2% for in-person, 7.3% for video, and 8.1% for audio. For follow-up ED visits rates ranged from 1.4% (in-person) to 1.6% (audio-only) with own PCP, compared to 1.9% (in-person) to 2.3% (audio-only) with another PCP. Follow-up hospitalizations were rare for both in-person and video visits with the patient’s own PCP or another PCP.
AHRQ-funded; HS25189.
Citation: Graetz I, Huang J, Gopalan A .
Primary care telemedicine and care continuity: implications for timeliness and short-term follow-up healthcare.
J Gen Intern Med 2024 Oct; 39(13):2454-60. doi: 10.1007/s11606-024-08914-4..
Keywords: Primary Care, Telehealth, Health Information Technology (HIT), Care Coordination, Access to Care
Hargraves JL, Cosenza C, Cleary PD
Measuring access to mental health services among primary care patients.
This survey looked at the best ways to measure access to mental health services among primary care patients using new patient survey questions that can be added to CAHPS surveys. The surveys were conducted with a stratified probability sample of patients receiving primary care services in a single state in 2018-2019. The surveys were conducted by mail or telephone using a stratified sample of Medicaid and privately insured patients, with a 14% response rate. The rate of patients getting or trying to get appointments for mental care was more than 10% for privately insured respondents and about 20% for Medicaid respondents. Of those, about 15% of privately insured respondents and 11% of Medicaid respondents reported problems getting appointments with counselors. There was a lower rate for problems to get appointments for prescriptions (8-9%).
AHRQ-funded; HS016978.
Citation: Hargraves JL, Cosenza C, Cleary PD .
Measuring access to mental health services among primary care patients.
Med Care 2024 Aug; 62(8):559-66. doi: 10.1097/mlr.0000000000002029..
Keywords: Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS), Behavioral Health, Primary Care, Access to Care
Liaw W, King B, Olaisen H
´óÏóAPPAuthor: Olaisen H
How an academic direct primary care clinic served patients from vulnerable communities.
This AHRQ-authored paper’s purpose was to describe the demographics and appointments of a now closed, academic direct primary care (DPC) clinic and determine whether there are differences in vulnerability between census tracts with and without any clinic patients. The authors linked geocoded data from the DPC's electronic health record with the social vulnerability index (SVI). They described the users’ age, sex, language, membership, diagnoses, and appointments. To determine differences in SVI, they calculated a localized SVI percentile within Harris County. They included 322 patients and 772 appointments, with patients seen an average of 2.4 times and predominantly female (58.4%). More than a third spoke Spanish. Census tracts in which DPC patients lived had significantly higher SVI scores (i.e., more vulnerable) than tracts where no DPC clinic patients resided (median, 0.60 vs 0.47).
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Liaw W, King B, Olaisen H .
How an academic direct primary care clinic served patients from vulnerable communities.
J Am Board Fam Med 2024 May-Jun; 37(3):455-65. doi: 10.3122/jabfm.2023.230346R1..
Keywords: Primary Care, Vulnerable Populations, Community-Based Practice, Access to Care
Sequeira GM, Kahn NF, Ricklefs C
Barriers pediatric PCP's identify to providing gender-affirming care for adolescents.
The purpose of this study was to explore pediatric primary care providers’ (PCPs) perspectives on barriers experienced in providing gender-affirming care to transgender and gender diverse (TGD) youth. Pediatric PCPs who had sought support from the Seattle Children's Gender Clinic were recruited to participate in semi-structured, one-hour interviews. They identified both health system and community-level barriers to providing gender-affirming care. The authors concluded that these barriers must be overcome in the pediatric primary care setting to ensure that TGD youth receive timely, effective, and more equitable gender-affirming care.
AHRQ-funded; HS026393.
Citation: Sequeira GM, Kahn NF, Ricklefs C .
Barriers pediatric PCP's identify to providing gender-affirming care for adolescents.
J Adolesc Health 2023 Aug; 73(2):367-74. doi: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2023.04.007..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Primary Care, Access to Care
Pagani K, Lukac D, Olbricht SM
Urgent referrals from primary care to dermatology for lesions suspicious for skin cancer: patterns, outcomes, and need for systems improvement.
The purpose of this study was to explore primary care and dermatology triaging and processing of urgent dermatology referrals. The researchers conducted chart reviews of all dermatology referrals designated by primary care as urgent for evaluation of a lesion concerning for skin cancer. Dermatology encounters for patients occurred on or before 30 days for 50.6% of referrals and on or after 31 days for 38.4% of referrals, with 10.9% never completed. The rate of non-English languages in the delayed group was 7.1% greater than in the timely group. The rate of all races excluding whites, non-Hispanic in the delayed appointment group (31 days or more) was 15.1% greater than in the timely appointment group (30 days or less). Overall, 15.8% of referrals yielded malignancy diagnoses, while 76.8% and 7.4% resulted in benign and pre-malignant diagnoses, respectively. The primary care team documented completed, incomplete, or pending referral status during their subsequent visits with the patients in only 37.5% of the referrals.
AHRQ-funded; HS027282.
Citation: Pagani K, Lukac D, Olbricht SM .
Urgent referrals from primary care to dermatology for lesions suspicious for skin cancer: patterns, outcomes, and need for systems improvement.
Arch Dermatol Res 2023 Jul; 315(5):1397-400. doi: 10.1007/s00403-022-02456-7..
Keywords: Cancer: Skin Cancer, Cancer, Primary Care, Skin Conditions, Access to Care
Maclean JC, McClellan C, Pesko MF
´óÏóAPPAuthor: McClellan C
Medicaid reimbursement rates for primary care services and behavioral health outcomes.
This AHRQ-authored research studied the effects of changing Medicaid reimbursement rates for primary care services on behavioral health outcomes-defined here as mental illness and substance use disorders. The authors applied two-way fixed-effects regressions to survey data specifically designed to measure behavioral health outcomes over the period 2010-2016. They found that higher primary care reimbursement rates reduce mental illness and substance use disorders among non-elderly adult Medicaid enrollees, although they interpreted findings for substance use disorders with some caution as they may be vulnerable to differential pre-trends. Overall, their findings suggest positive spillovers from a policy designed to target primary care services to behavioral health outcomes.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Maclean JC, McClellan C, Pesko MF .
Medicaid reimbursement rates for primary care services and behavioral health outcomes.
Health Econ 2023 Jan 6;32(4):873-909. doi: 10.1002/hec.4646.
Keywords: Medicaid, Payment, Primary Care, Behavioral Health, Outcomes, Access to Care, Substance Abuse, Health Insurance
Meiselbach MK, Drake C, Saloner B
Medicaid managed care: access to primary care providers who prescribe buprenorphine.
This study examined variation in access to in-network buprenorphine-prescribing primary care providers that can treat opioid use disorder among Medicaid managed care enrollees. Approximately 32.2% of Medicaid enrollees had fewer than one in-network network buprenorphine-prescribing primary care providers per 100,000 county residents. There was on average a greater number of in-network buprenorphine-prescribing primary care providers in states with higher compared with lower overdose death rates, but most enrollees lived in areas with a shortage of these providers. The authors found that a 25 percent higher network participation rate by prescribers compared with nonprescribers could improve the probability that enrollees see a prescriber by approximately 25 percent.
AHRQ-funded; HS000029.
Citation: Meiselbach MK, Drake C, Saloner B .
Medicaid managed care: access to primary care providers who prescribe buprenorphine.
Health Aff 2022 Jun;41(6):901-10. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2021.01719..
Keywords: Medicaid, Primary Care, Access to Care, Medication, Care Management, Opioids, Substance Abuse, Behavioral Health
Huang J, Graetz I, Millman A
Primary care telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic: patient's choice of video versus telephone visit.
The goal of this study was to examine the association between patient characteristics and primary care telemedicine choice among integrated delivery system patients self-scheduling visits during the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings showed that patients of Black or Hispanic race/ethnicity, or living in low socioeconomic status or low internet access neighborhoods were less likely to schedule video visits. Also, patients 65 years or older, with prior video visit experience or mobile portal access, or visiting their own personal provider were more likely to schedule video visits. While video adoption was substantial in all patient groups examined, differences in telemedicine choice suggested the persistence of a digital divide.
AHRQ-funded; HS025189.
Citation: Huang J, Graetz I, Millman A .
Primary care telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic: patient's choice of video versus telephone visit.
JAMIA Open 2022 Apr;5(1):ooac002. doi: 10.1093/jamiaopen/ooac002..
Keywords: COVID-19, Primary Care, Telehealth, Health Information Technology (HIT), Access to Care
Lewis VA, Spivack S, Murray GF
FQHC designation and safety net patient revenue associated with primary care practice capabilities for access and quality.
Researchers assessed capabilities around access to and quality of care among primary care practices serving a high share of Medicaid and uninsured patients compared to practices serving a low share of these patients. Data from the National Survey of Healthcare Organizations and Systems was analyzed. They found that federally qualified health centers were more likely than other types of primary care practices (both safety net practices and other practices) to possess capabilities related to access and quality. However, safety net practices were less likely than non-safety net practices to possess health information technology capabilities.
AHRQ-funded; HS024075.
Citation: Lewis VA, Spivack S, Murray GF .
FQHC designation and safety net patient revenue associated with primary care practice capabilities for access and quality.
J Gen Intern Med 2021 Oct;36(10):2922-28. doi: 10.1007/s11606-021-06746-0..
Keywords: Vulnerable Populations, Primary Care, Access to Care, Uninsured, Medicaid, Quality of Care
Misra-Hebert AD, Hu B, Pantalone KM
Primary care health care use for patients with type 2 diabetes during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This study sought to examine factors associated with total and virtual primary care use for patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study used electronic medical records in the Cleveland Clinic Health System comparing prepandemic use from August 2019 to March 2020 (baseline period 0) to two pandemic periods: March to June 2020 (period 1) when in-person visits were converted to virtual; and July to November 2020 when in-person visits resumed (period 2). Demographic characteristics were obtained including age, sex, race, insurance type, median income estimated by zip code and baseline HbA1C. The study included 76,015 patients with T2D who completed a primary care visit in baseline period 0. Cohort median age was 66.2 years, 50.7% women, 21.7% Black, 71.0% White and 7.4 Other. Insurance distribution was 43.2% private, 46.5% Medicare, and 9.5% Medicaid. Median income was estimated at $59,000 and baseline HbA1C was ≤ 7% for 59.6% of patients. There were higher odds of Black patients, those with uncontrolled T2D, and those with Medicare and Medicare using virtual visits during the 2 postpandemic periods suggesting that virtual visits may be a preference for those groups. Older and male patients had lower odds of visit completion.
AHRQ-funded; HS024128.
Citation: Misra-Hebert AD, Hu B, Pantalone KM .
Primary care health care use for patients with type 2 diabetes during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Diabetes Care 2021 Sep;44(9):e173-e74. doi: 10.2337/dc21-0853..
Keywords: COVID-19, Diabetes, Primary Care, Telehealth, Health Information Technology (HIT), Healthcare Delivery, Access to Care, Chronic Conditions
Fung V, McCarthy S, Price M
Payment discrepancies and access to primary care physicians for dual-eligible Medicare-Medicaid beneficiaries.
This study examined whether the Affordable Care Act (ACA) primary care fee bump for dual-eligible Medicare-Medicaid beneficiaries impacted primary care physicians (PCP) acceptance of duals. The authors assessed differences in the likelihood that PCPs had dual caseloads of ≥10% or 20% in states with lower versus full dual reimbursement using linear probability models adjusted for physician and area-level traits. The proportion of PCPs with dual caseloads of ≥10% or 20% decreased significantly between 2012 and 2017. The fee bump was not consistently associated with increases in dual caseloads.
AHRQ-funded; HS024725.
Citation: Fung V, McCarthy S, Price M .
Payment discrepancies and access to primary care physicians for dual-eligible Medicare-Medicaid beneficiaries.
Med Care 2021 Jun;59(6):487-94. doi: 10.1097/mlr.0000000000001525..
Keywords: Primary Care, Medicaid, Medicare, Health Insurance, Payment, Access to Care
Cole ES, DiDomenico E, Green S
The who, the what, and the how: a description of strategies and lessons learned to expand access to medications for opioid use disorder in rural America.
This study looked at the problems of treatment access for opioid use disorder (OUD) in rural areas within the United States. Providers must complete 8-24 hours of training to obtain the Drug Addiction Treatment Act (DATA) 2000 waiver to have the legal authority to prescribe buprenorphine. The authors executed 5 AHRQ-funded dissemination and implementation grants to study and address barriers to providing Medications for Opioid Use Disorder Treatment (MOUD), including psychosocial supports. Obtaining the DATA 2000 waiver was found to be just one component of meaningful treatment using MOUD, and there are other significant barriers that providers face daily. The researchers’ initiatives and common lessons learned across their grants are summarized and recommendations are offered how primary care providers can be better supported to expand access to MOUD across rural America.
AHRQ-funded.
Citation: Cole ES, DiDomenico E, Green S .
The who, the what, and the how: a description of strategies and lessons learned to expand access to medications for opioid use disorder in rural America.
Subst Abus 2021;42(2):123-29. doi: 10.1080/08897077.2021.1891492..
Keywords: Opioids, Medication, Primary Care, Rural Health, Substance Abuse, Access to Care
Han B, Chen PG, Yu H
Access to after-hours primary care: a key determinant of children's medical home status.
Researchers sought to identify individual survey items or domains that best predict medical home (MH) status for children and use them to develop brief markers of MH status. Using MEPS data, they found that accessibility, especially the ability to access health care after regular office hours, appeared to be the major predictor of having a MH among children. They recommended that the ongoing efforts to promote the MH model target improving accessibility of health care after regular hours for children overall and especially for Latino children.
AHRQ-funded; HS023336.
Citation: Han B, Chen PG, Yu H .
Access to after-hours primary care: a key determinant of children's medical home status.
BMC Health Serv Res 2021 Feb 27;21(1):185. doi: 10.1186/s12913-021-06192-y..
Keywords: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Children/Adolescents, Primary Care: Models of Care, Primary Care, Patient-Centered Healthcare, Access to Care, Healthcare Delivery, Disparities, Racial and Ethnic Minorities
Salvador JG, Bhatt SR, Jacobsohn VC
Feasibility and acceptability of an online ECHO intervention to expand access to medications for treatment of opioid use disorder, psychosocial treatments and supports.
This study examined acceptability and feasibility of an online Extensions for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO) model intervention developed to support rural primary care clinics to expand treatment and is part of a larger study tracking the impact of participation in this ECHO on expansion of medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) in rural primary care. Using qualitative interviews and post-session questionnaires across 27 rural clinics in New Mexico, findings suggested evidence of feasibility and acceptability of MOUD ECHO to support expansion of this treatment.
AHRQ-funded; HS025345.
Citation: Salvador JG, Bhatt SR, Jacobsohn VC .
Feasibility and acceptability of an online ECHO intervention to expand access to medications for treatment of opioid use disorder, psychosocial treatments and supports.
Subst Abus 2021;42(4):610-17. doi: 10.1080/08897077.2020.1806184..
Keywords: Opioids, Substance Abuse, Behavioral Health, Medication, Access to Care, Rural Health, Primary Care, Patient-Centered Healthcare
Fiori KP, Heller CG, Rehm CD
Unmet social needs and no-show visits in primary care in a US Northeastern urban health system, 2018-2019.
This study used results from a 10-item social needs screener conducted across 19 primary care practices in Bronx County, New York to determine reasons for no-show appointments between April 2018 and July 2019. They examined the association between unmet needs and a 2-year history of missed appointments from 41,637 patients. Overall, the no-show appointment rate was 26.6%. Patients with 1 or more unmet social needs had a significantly higher no-show proportion (31.5%) than those without (26.3%). The strongest association with no-shows was with transportation problems.
AHRQ-funded; HS026396.
Citation: Fiori KP, Heller CG, Rehm CD .
Unmet social needs and no-show visits in primary care in a US Northeastern urban health system, 2018-2019.
Am J Public Health 2020 Jul;110(S2):S242-s50. doi: 10.2105/ajph.2020.305717..
Keywords: Urban Health, Primary Care, Access to Care, Social Determinants of Health
Krist AH, O'Loughlin K, Woolf SH
Enhanced care planning and clinical-community linkages versus usual care to address basic needs of patients with multiple chronic conditions: a clinician-level randomized controlled trial.
This paper describes the beginning of a clinician-level cluster-randomized controlled trial to evaluate how primary care clinicians can participate in community and hospital solutions to connecting patients with needed services and whether doing so is effective in controlling multiple chronic conditions. Electronic health records will be used to identify patients with these conditions, including cardiovascular disease or risks, diabetes, obesity, or depression.
AHRQ-funded; HS026223.
Citation: Krist AH, O'Loughlin K, Woolf SH .
Enhanced care planning and clinical-community linkages versus usual care to address basic needs of patients with multiple chronic conditions: a clinician-level randomized controlled trial.
Trials 2020 Jun 11;21(1):517. doi: 10.1186/s13063-020-04463-3..
Keywords: Chronic Conditions, Primary Care, Health Promotion, Access to Care
Melnikow J, Evans E, Xing G
Primary care access to new patient appointments for California Medicaid enrollees: a simulated patient study.
Investigators evaluated variation in the availability of primary care new patient appointments for Medi-Cal (California Medicaid) enrollees in Northern California and its relationship to emergency department (ED) use after Medicaid expansion. Data from the California Health Interview Survey, Medi-Cal enrollment reports, and California hospital discharge records were used. The investigators found that access to primary care in Northern California was limited for new patient Medi-Cal enrollees and varied across counties, despite standard statewide reimbursement rates. Further, counties with more limited access to primary care new patient appointments had higher ED use by Medi-Cal enrollees.
AHRQ-funded; HS022236.
Citation: Melnikow J, Evans E, Xing G .
Primary care access to new patient appointments for California Medicaid enrollees: a simulated patient study.
Ann Fam Med 2020 May;18(3):210-17. doi: 10.1370/afm.2502..
Keywords: Primary Care, Access to Care, Medicaid, Health Insurance, Emergency Department, Healthcare Utilization
Kirby JB, Yabroff KR
´óÏóAPPAuthor: Kirby JB
Rural-urban differences in access to primary care: beyond the usual source of care provider.
This study used 2014-2016 MEPS data to analyze differences between rural and urban areas to primary care access beyond the usual source of care provider. While rural residents were more likely to have a usual source of care, they were less likely to have a provider with office hours on nights and weekends.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Kirby JB, Yabroff KR .
Rural-urban differences in access to primary care: beyond the usual source of care provider.
Am J Prev Med 2020 Jan;58(1):89-96. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2019.08.026..
Keywords: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Access to Care, Primary Care, Rural Health, Urban Health, Health Services Research (HSR)
Cochran G, Cole ES, Warwick J
Rural access to MAT in Pennsylvania (RAMP): a hybrid implementation study protocol for medication assisted treatment adoption among rural primary care providers.
This paper reports the design and protocol of an implementation study seeking to advance availability of medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorder (OUD) in rural Pennsylvania counties for patients insured by Medicaid in primary care settings. Results showed an urgent need in the US to expand access to high quality, evidence-based OUD treatment, particularly in rural areas where capacity is limited for service delivery, in order to improve patient health and protect lives. Further, results of this study will provide needed evidence in the field for appropriate methods for implementing MAT among a large number of rural primary care providers.
AHRQ-funded; HS025072.
Citation: Cochran G, Cole ES, Warwick J .
Rural access to MAT in Pennsylvania (RAMP): a hybrid implementation study protocol for medication assisted treatment adoption among rural primary care providers.
Addict Sci Clin Pract 2019 Aug 1;14(1):25. doi: 10.1186/s13722-019-0154-4..
Keywords: Opioids, Substance Abuse, Rural Health, Medication, Access to Care, Implementation, Primary Care, Healthcare Delivery, Medicaid
Cole ES, DiDomenico E, Cochran G
The role of primary care in improving access to medication-assisted treatment for rural Medicaid enrollees with opioid use disorder.
The authors examined the degree to which rural residents with opioid use disorder (OUD) are engaged with primary care providers (PCPs); they also described the role of rural PCPs in medication-assisted treatment (MAT) delivery, and estimated the association between enrollee distance to MAT prescribers and MAT utilization. They concluded that PCP utilization among rural Medicaid enrollees diagnosed with OUD is high, presenting a potential intervention point to treat OUD, particularly if the enrollee's PCP is located nearer than their MAT prescriber.
AHRQ-funded; HS025072.
Citation: Cole ES, DiDomenico E, Cochran G .
The role of primary care in improving access to medication-assisted treatment for rural Medicaid enrollees with opioid use disorder.
J Gen Intern Med 2019 Jun;34(6):936-43. doi: 10.1007/s11606-019-04943-6..
Keywords: Opioids, Substance Abuse, Rural Health, Medication, Access to Care, Implementation, Primary Care, Healthcare Delivery, Medicaid
Fraze TK, Fisher ES, Tomaino MR
Comparison of populations served in hospital service areas with and without comprehensive primary care plus medical homes.
The purpose of this comparative cross sectional study was to describe practices that joined the Comprehensive Primary Care Plus (CPC+) model and compare hospital service areas with and without CPC+ practices. The authors concluded that according to this study, although a diverse set of practices joined the CPC+ program, practices in areas characterized by patient populations with greater advantage were more likely to join, which may affect access to advanced primary care medical home models such as CPC+, by vulnerable populations.
AHRQ-funded; HS024075.
Citation: Fraze TK, Fisher ES, Tomaino MR .
Comparison of populations served in hospital service areas with and without comprehensive primary care plus medical homes.
JAMA Netw Open 2018 Sep 7;1(5):e182169. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2018.2169..
Keywords: Primary Care, Patient-Centered Healthcare, Primary Care: Models of Care, Healthcare Delivery, Access to Care
Biener AI, Zuvekas SH, Hill SC
´óÏóAPPAuthor: Biener AI, Zuvekas SH, Hill SC
Impact of recent Medicaid expansions on office-based primary care and specialty care among the newly eligible.
The objective of this study was to quantify the effect of Medicaid expansions on office-based care among the newly eligible. The investigators concluded that State Medicaid expansions in 2014 were associated with greater likelihoods of visits with a variety of office-based providers. The estimated effects were larger among newly eligible compared with previous estimates on broader populations of low-income adults.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Biener AI, Zuvekas SH, Hill SC .
Impact of recent Medicaid expansions on office-based primary care and specialty care among the newly eligible.
Health Serv Res 2018 Aug;53(4):2426-45. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.12793.
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Keywords: Access to Care, Healthcare Utilization, Medicaid, Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Primary Care
Higuera L, Carlin CS, Dowd B
Narrow provider networks and willingness to pay for continuity of care and network breadth.
This study examined choices of health plans in a private health insurance exchange where consumers choose among one broad network and four narrow network plans. The willingness to pay for a network that covers consumers' usual source of care was between $84 and $275/month (for primary care) and between $0 and $115/month (for specialists). The investigators also found that, given that a network covers their usual source of care, consumers show aversion only to the narrowest networks.
AHRQ-funded; HS022881.
Citation: Higuera L, Carlin CS, Dowd B .
Narrow provider networks and willingness to pay for continuity of care and network breadth.
J Health Econ 2018 Jul;60:90-97. doi: 10.1016/j.jhealeco.2018.06.006..
Keywords: Access to Care, Shared Decision Making, Health Insurance, Primary Care
Cole MB, Wright B, Wilson IB
Medicaid expansion and community health centers: care quality and service use increased for rural patients.
Investigators studied the impact of Medicaid expansion in rural areas. Data from 2011-2015 found that there was an 11.4% decline in uninsured patients and a 13.5% increase in Medicaid patients at community health centers (CHCs). Relative improvements were shown in patients with chronic conditions such as asthma and hypertension; and an increase in visits for mammograms and substance abuse disorders.
AHRQ-funded; HS024652.
Citation: Cole MB, Wright B, Wilson IB .
Medicaid expansion and community health centers: care quality and service use increased for rural patients.
Health Aff 2018 Jun;37(6):900-07. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2017.1542..
Keywords: Medicaid, Community-Based Practice, Rural Health, Access to Care, Quality of Care, Healthcare Utilization, Primary Care
