Health confidence and racial and ethnic disparities in consumers' assessments of health care

Abstract

This study examined whether health confidence is associated with consumers' ratings and reports of care and whether adjusting for health confidence and other factors attenuates ethnic or racial disparities. Data are from the 2005 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. Persons with greater health confidence had lower adjusted odds of high overall care ratings (OCRs) and high reports of getting needed care and provider communication. Adjusting for health confidence and other factors, there were no Hispanic/non-Hispanic differences. Compared with whites, African Americans had lower OCRs and reports of getting needed care; Asians had lower OCRs and reports of getting needed care, getting care quickly, and provider communication. Health care organizations and providers should consider targeting improvement efforts toward health-confident persons and adjusting for health confidence when comparing consumer assessments across groups. Although health confidence is associated with consumer assessments, other factors explain racial and ethnic differences.