Relation between a usual source of care and patient and provider interactions among older adults

Objective: Research has demonstrated a strong association between a usual source of care and health care among older adults with disabilities. Patient and provider interactions may mediate this relation. Methods: We pool Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data for 2001-2007 to examine the effect of a usual source of care (i.e., none, a place, and person) on measures of patient and provider interactions, such as feeling treated with respect among adults age 55 and older. Findings: We found a consistent effect of a usual source of care on patient and provider interactions. Older adults with disabilities who reported no usual source of care or a place as a usual source of care had lower relative risk of reporting that their provider listened to them, explained information, spent enough time with them and treated them with respect, compared to older adults who reported a person as a usual source of care. For example, those with no usual source of care had a relative risk of .897 for reporting that the provider listened, and those with a place had a relative risk of .926, compared to older adults with a person as a usual source of care. Older adults with a place as a usual source of care had a relative risk of .757 of reporting that they received the best health care possible. Implications: Policy efforts to increase access to a person as a usual source of care are important to enhancing the health care experiences of older adults with disabilities.