Home Health Agencies With More Socially Vulnerable Patients Have Poorer Experience of Care Ratings

J Appl Gerontol. 2022 Mar;41(3):661-670. doi: 10.1177/07334648211053859. Epub 2021 Dec 23.

Abstract

Objectives: Examine the relationships between dual eligibility and race/ethnicity characteristics of Medicare-Certified Home Health Agencies (CHHAs) and experience of care ratings.

Methods: Analysis of 2017 national Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems and matched datasets of 10,906 CHHAs.

Results: CHHAs with higher concentrations of dual-eligible patients were less likely to have high experience of care ratings for all three domains (e.g., for care delivery, quartile 4 vs. 1: odds ratio [OR] = 0.622, p < .001); CHHAs with higher concentrations of racial/ethnic minorities generally were less likely to have high experience of care ratings in care delivery (e.g., Black: quartile 4 vs. 1: OR = 0.418, p<0.001), communication (e.g., Black: quartile 4 vs. 1: OR = 0.316, p<0.001), and specific care issues (e.g., Hispanic: quartile 4 vs. 1: OR = 0.397, p < .001).

Discussion: CHHAs with greater concentrations of dual-eligible patients and racial/ethnic minorities were more likely to have poor experience of care ratings.

Keywords: Dual Eligibility; Home Health Care; Medicare; Racial/Ethnic Disparities; experience of Care.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Eligibility Determination
  • Ethnicity
  • Healthcare Disparities
  • Hispanic or Latino
  • Home Care Agencies*
  • Humans
  • Medicare
  • United States