Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #108184

Beverly Mulvihill, PhD, Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, RPHB 320, 1530 3rd Avenue So., Birmingham, AL 35294-0022, (205) 975-7942, bmulvihil@uab.edu, Francis Ayodele Obuseh, MSc, MPH, Department of Maternal and Child Health School, School of Public Health University of Alabama at Birmingham, 320 Ryals Building, 1530 3rd Avenue South, Birmingham, AL 35294-0022, Francis X. Mulvihill, PhD, School of Public Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1665 University Boulevard Room 330, Birmingham, AL 35294-0022, Anita Jackson, BA, School of Public Health, Department of Maternal and Child Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1665 University Boulevard Room 320, Birmingham, AL 35294-0022, and Cathy Caldwell, Children's Health Insurance Program, Alabama Department of Public Health, 201 Monroe Street, Montgomery, AL 36103.

Objective: The relationship between healthcare provider type and components of the SCHIP, ALL Kids, in Alabama was investigated.

Methodology: Healthcare providers (n=500) received mailed surveys on the plan, clients, families, and satisfaction with ALL Kids (return rate = 23% (n=121).

Results: Respondents:dentists 24%, family practitioners 12%, pediatricians 26%, specialists 25%, other 14%. On 0-10 scale, 58% rated ALL Kids 8-10 (best); < 2% ,0-3 (worst). Providers did not view ALL Kids families different from others. Differences observed among providers: % of All Kids patients (dentists & pediatricians 5-9%, others 0-4%, p = <.05); wanting more ALL Kids patients (family practice (46%), others (88%) p=<.05); ages served (family practice & specialists: all ages; pediatricians: birth-adolescence, p=<.01); who saw CSHCN (pediatricians (>90%), others (80%); dentists, family practitioners, specialists (62-64%) p= 05); why did not see CSHCN (no equipment to serve: dentists (68%) to others (100%) p= <05). Dentists, family practitioners, pediatricians mostly saw no difference in reimbursement while specialists saw reimbursement as less, p=<.05. Regarding adolescents: pediatricians most likely to speak to them alone, specialists least likely p=<.01; most providers (60-97%), except dentists (39%) spoke about general health (p=<.01); family practitioners (86%), pediatricians (87%) discussed mental health, few dentists did (18%) (p=<.01).

Conclusion: Providers did not perceive families to be different and most (60%) rated the program as among the best. Communication issues frequently found in adolescent health studies were also found here, indicating a continued need for reinforcement of clinical preventive standards among all types of health care providers.

Learning Objectives: