Patient Reports of the Quality of Care in Community Health Centers: The Importance of Having a Regular Provider
Author: Beal, Anne
Date Published: 2010
The objective of this research was to examine the importance of having a regular provider in community health centers (CHCs) for high quality care. Results show that patients at CHCs are less likely than patients who use a PMD to report having a regular doctor (53% v 95%) They also report lower rates for all the preventive care and patient experience measures. However, the differences in quality are eliminated when CHC patients have a regular provider. Conclusions show that when CHC patients have a regular provider, they receive higher quality care. Policymakers should support expansions of the CHC health care workforce to ensure patients have access to a regular provider, which leads to higher quality care.
Date Published: 2010
The objective of this research was to examine the importance of having a regular provider in community health centers (CHCs) for high quality care. Results show that patients at CHCs are less likely than patients who use a PMD to report having a regular doctor (53% v 95%) They also report lower rates for all the preventive care and patient experience measures. However, the differences in quality are eliminated when CHC patients have a regular provider. Conclusions show that when CHC patients have a regular provider, they receive higher quality care. Policymakers should support expansions of the CHC health care workforce to ensure patients have access to a regular provider, which leads to higher quality care.
