Usual source of care in preventive service use: a regular doctor versus a regular site.

Full Abstract

OBJECTIVE:
To compare the effects of having a regular doctor and having a regular site on five preventive services, controlling for the endogeneity of having a usual source of care.

DATA SOURCE:
The Medical Expenditure Panel Survey 1996 conducted by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and the National Center for Health Statistics.

STUDY DESIGN:
Mammograms, pap smears, blood pressure checkups, cholesterol level checkups, and flu shots were examined. A modified behavioral model framework was presented, which controlled for the endogeneity of having a usual source of care. Based on this framework, a two-equation empirical model was established to predict the probabilities of having a regular doctor and having a regular site, and use of each type of preventive service.

PRINCIPAL FINDINGS:
Having a regular doctor was found to have a greater impact than having a regular site on discretional preventive services, such as blood pressure and cholesterol level checkups. No statistically significant differences were found between the effects a having a regular doctor and having a regular site on the use of flu shots, pap smears, and mammograms. Among the five preventive services, having a usual source of care had the greatest impact on cholesterol level checkups and pap smears.

CONCLUSIONS:
Promoting a stable physician-patient relationship can improve patients' timely receipt of clinical prevention. For certain preventive services, having a regular doctor is more effective than having a regular site.

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Author information

Author/s: Xu, K Tom (KT);

Affiliation: Department of Health Services Research and Management, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock 79430, USA.

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Comparative Study; Journal Article

Journal: Health services research (Health Serv Res), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2002-Dec; vol 37 (issue 6) : pp 1509-29

Dates: Created 2003/01/27; Completed 2003/02/05; Revised 2008/11/20;

PMID: 12546284, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 12/26/2008)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Adolescent
Adult
Blood Pressure Determination - utilization
Cholesterol - blood
Continuity of Patient Care
Decision Making
Female
Health Behavior
Health Services Research

Humans
Male
Mammography - utilization
Middle Aged
Patient Acceptance of Health Care - psychology
Preventive Health Services - utilization
Probability
United States
Vaginal Smears - utilization

Associated Chemicals: Cholesterol (57-88-5)

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