Access to medical care is a major national issue, and several surveys
suggest that racial and ethnic differences influence access to care
for chronic pain problems. To evaluate the influence of race and ethnicity
on access to treatment for chronic pain, a cross-sectional telephone
survey was performed in a nationally representative sample of 454 white,
447 African-American, and 434 Hispanic subjects with pain for >/=3
months. Questions explored demographics, pain and its treatment, and
perceived access to care. A composite "access" variable combined
actual consultation with perceived access. Hispanics were younger, least
likely to be insured, and had the least education and lowest income;
61% spoke Spanish at home. Hispanics were significantly less likely
to have consulted a primary care practitioner for pain (70%) than whites
(84%) or African-Americans (85%). A lower likelihood of consultation
also was associated with speaking Spanish, being male, being relatively
young (18-34 years old) or single, having limited education, and not
being employed. Low "access" to care was associated with being
Hispanic and speaking Spanish, being younger or male, having low income
or limited education, being employed, and agreeing that financial concerns
prevented pain treatment. High "access" was associated with
being white or African-American; being older or female or living in
a suburban area; having insurance, higher income, or college education;
and being unemployed. In multivariate models, low "access"
was associated with Hispanic ethnicity and agreement that financial
concerns prevented pain treatment. High "access" was associated
with more severe pain, having insurance or an income of $25,000 to $74,000,
and agreeing that "A doctor or other health care provider is the
first person I would go to to discuss my pain." These data suggest
that race/ethnicity, other demographic characteristics, and socioeconomic
factors influence access to pain care. Hispanic ethnicity predicts limited
access. Nguyen M, Ugarte C, Fuller I, Haas G, Portenoy RK. J Pain. 2005
May;6(5):301-14.
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Credit: All abstracts retrieved from PubMed, developed by the National
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Library of Medicine (NLM).
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