Medical homes: A comparison of the factors that predict utilization across the lifespan

Not having access to a regular source of health care has been noted as one of the main contributors to the existence of health care disparities among ethnic minority populations (Lurie & Dubowitz, 2007). Utilizing a medical home has been proposed as a method to aid in the elimination of health disparities. A medical home is defined as a health care practitioner or facility that a person regularly utilizes for their primary care. Daaleman (2006) has proposed that one way to improve the quality of care provided by family physicians is to pay physicians that served as a medical home for older adults with chronic illnesses. This study examines several demographic variables and variables related to the client's interactions with their health care provider that can have a significant impact on whether or not a person has a medical home. The respondents were 6,299 adults ages 18 to 99 that responded to a telephone survey. For this analysis the respondents were divided into the following three age groups in order to compare outcomes by age: 18-39, 40-59, and 60 and older. Results indicate that variables such as marital status, having health insurance, and a provider's sensitivity to a client's background and values affect whether or not a person is more likely to have a medical home. African Americans/Blacks, Hispanics/Latinos, and Asian Americans, compared to Whites, were more likely to report having some issues with the quality of care that they received and less likely to have a medical home.