The importance of type of usual source of care for children's physician access and expenditures

Med Care. 1987 May;25(5):386-98. doi: 10.1097/00005650-198705000-00003.

Abstract

Despite the overall improvement in access to medical care for low-income people, differences in access to care by income levels remain for children. One reason may be the types of places low-income children often go for care. This paper examines the importance of type of usual source of care-physician's office versus hospital outpatient/emergency room sites and the potential mitigating influence of a specific physician as caregiver at these sites-on physician access and expenditures. Likelihood of a visit, number of visits, distribution of visits for preventive and illness-related care, and likelihood of a preventive visit are examined for all children and for those under 6 years. Implications of different types of usual source of care for costs of physician care are discussed as well.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Child
  • Child Health Services / statistics & numerical data*
  • Child, Preschool
  • Emergency Service, Hospital / statistics & numerical data
  • Health Expenditures
  • Health Services Accessibility / economics*
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Office Visits / statistics & numerical data
  • Outpatient Clinics, Hospital / statistics & numerical data
  • Patient Acceptance of Health Care*
  • Poverty*
  • Preventive Health Services / statistics & numerical data
  • Regression Analysis
  • Sampling Studies
  • United States