Elderly Access to Primary Care Services
Author Information
Author(s): Lee R. Mobley, Elisabeth Root, Luc Anselin, Nancy Lozano-Gracia, Julia Koschinsky
Primary Institution: RTI International
Hypothesis
How do market-level supply and demand factors affect ACSC admission rates among the elderly in the U.S.?
Conclusion
Elderly living in impoverished rural areas or sprawling suburban places are equally likely to be admitted for ACSCs, and the presence of non-physician clinicians and international medical graduates can reduce these admissions.
Supporting Evidence
- Elderly in rural areas face greater access challenges compared to those in urban areas.
- Higher availability of non-physician clinicians is associated with lower ACSC admission rates.
- Managed care penetration in a region can have beneficial spillover effects on healthcare access.
Takeaway
This study found that elderly people in poor rural areas and sprawling suburbs have similar problems getting to doctors, and having more non-doctor healthcare providers can help.
Methodology
Spatial regression analysis using data from 6,475 natural markets defined by the Primary Care Service Area Project.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to the exclusion of non-physician providers and cultural factors affecting healthcare access.
Limitations
The study does not include Medicare managed care beneficiaries, which may limit the generalizability of the findings.
Participant Demographics
Elderly individuals aged 65 and above, primarily Medicare beneficiaries.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.05
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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