TY - JOUR
KW - Adolescent
KW - Adult
KW - Aged
KW - Communication
KW - Continuity of Patient Care
KW - Educational Status
KW - Female
KW - Health Services Accessibility/organization & administration
KW - Hispanic Americans
KW - Humans
KW - Insurance Coverage
KW - Insurance, Health
KW - Language
KW - Male
KW - Marital Status
KW - Mental Health Services/organization & administration
KW - Middle Aged
KW - Primary Health Care/organization & administration
KW - Quality of Health Care
KW - Waiting Lists
AU - J. R. Pippins
AU - M. Alegria
AU - J. S. Haas
A1 - 
AB - BACKGROUND: Latinos experience substantial barriers to primary care. Limited English language proficiency may be a mechanism for these deficiencies, even for Latinos with health coverage. OBJECTIVE: To determine the relationship between English language proficiency and the experience of primary care reported by insured Latinos. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS: Analysis of the National Latino and Asian American Study, a nationally representative household survey, 2002-2003. This analysis was restricted to Latinos who reported current health insurance (n= 1792), and included information on ethnic subgroups. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Four outcomes addressed different aspects of the quality of primary care: (1) not having a regular source of care or lacking continuity of care, (2) difficulty getting an appointment over the phone, (3) long waits in the waiting room, and (4) difficulty getting information or advice by phone. RESULTS: English language proficiency was associated with the experience of primary care for 3 of the 4 outcomes. Insured Latinos with poor/fair English language proficiency were more likely than those with good/excellent proficiency to report not having a regular source of care or lacking continuity [odds ratio (OR) 2.20, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.60-3.02], long waits (OR, 1.88; CI, 1.34-2.64), and difficulty getting information/advice by phone (OR, 1.76; 95% CI, 1.25-2.46). CONCLUSIONS: Among insured Latinos, low English language proficiency is associated with worse reports of the quality of primary care. These results suggest that interventions to address limited English proficiency may be important to improving the quality of primary care for this rapidly growing population.
BT - Medical care
C5 - Healthcare Disparities
CP - 11
CY - United States
DO - 10.1097/MLR.0b013e31814847be
IS - 11
JF - Medical care
N2 - BACKGROUND: Latinos experience substantial barriers to primary care. Limited English language proficiency may be a mechanism for these deficiencies, even for Latinos with health coverage. OBJECTIVE: To determine the relationship between English language proficiency and the experience of primary care reported by insured Latinos. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS: Analysis of the National Latino and Asian American Study, a nationally representative household survey, 2002-2003. This analysis was restricted to Latinos who reported current health insurance (n= 1792), and included information on ethnic subgroups. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Four outcomes addressed different aspects of the quality of primary care: (1) not having a regular source of care or lacking continuity of care, (2) difficulty getting an appointment over the phone, (3) long waits in the waiting room, and (4) difficulty getting information or advice by phone. RESULTS: English language proficiency was associated with the experience of primary care for 3 of the 4 outcomes. Insured Latinos with poor/fair English language proficiency were more likely than those with good/excellent proficiency to report not having a regular source of care or lacking continuity [odds ratio (OR) 2.20, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.60-3.02], long waits (OR, 1.88; CI, 1.34-2.64), and difficulty getting information/advice by phone (OR, 1.76; 95% CI, 1.25-2.46). CONCLUSIONS: Among insured Latinos, low English language proficiency is associated with worse reports of the quality of primary care. These results suggest that interventions to address limited English proficiency may be important to improving the quality of primary care for this rapidly growing population.
PP - United States
PY - 2007
SN - 0025-7079; 0025-7079
SP - 1020
EP - 1025
EP - 
T1 - Association between language proficiency and the quality of primary care among a national sample of insured Latinos
T2 - Medical care
TI - Association between language proficiency and the quality of primary care among a national sample of insured Latinos
U1 - Healthcare Disparities
U2 - 18049341
U3 - 10.1097/MLR.0b013e31814847be
VL - 45
VO - 0025-7079; 0025-7079
Y1 - 2007
ER -