The effectiveness of policies to improve primary care access for underserved populations: an assessment of the literature

The effectiveness of policies to improve primary care access for underserved populations: an assessment of the literature

Collection:
Health Policy and Services Research
Author(s):
Kona, Maanasa, author
Houston, Megan, author
Gooding, Nia, author
Contributor(s):
Milbank Memorial Fund, issuing body.
Publication:
New York, NY : Milbank Memorial Fund, January 2022
Language(s):
English
Format:
Text
Subject(s):
Health Services Accessibility
Medically Underserved Area
Primary Health Care
Patient Acceptance of Health Care
United States
Genre(s):
Review
Technical Report
Abstract:
Primary care is a critical tool to prevent illness and death and to improve equitable distribution of health in populations. However, access to this important source of care is lacking, especially for many underresourced groups, such as communities of color and in rural areas. In 1981, researchers Roy Penchansky and J. William Thomas developed a model that breaks down the concept of primary care access into five composite and interconnected dimensions: availability of primary care clinicians; accessibility of primary care services geographically; accommodation in terms of appointment availability and hours; affordability; and acceptability in terms of comfort and communication between patient and clinician. The authors of this report reviewed the research literature to assess the evidence supporting whether policy initiatives targeting primary care access in each of these five dimensions have been effective in reducing health care disparities. The policy initiatives we considered vary widely in terms of the decision makers best suited to implement them and therefore will require multi-sector collaborative solutions to improve access to primary care in underserved areas.
Copyright:
Reproduced with permission of the copyright holder. Further use of the material is subject to CC BY license. (More information)
Extent:
1 online resource (1 PDF file (73 pages))
NLM Unique ID:
9918350183706676 (See catalog record)
Permanent Link:
http://resource.nlm.nih.gov/9918350183706676