Self-reported healthcare provider utilization across United States Midwestern households

Abstract

Understanding the relationships between health care provider usage and demographics of patients is necessary for the development of educational materials, outreach information, and programs targeting individuals who may benefit from services. This analysis identified relationships between health care provider usage and individual's demographics. A sample of Midwestern U.S. respondents (n = 1265) was obtained through the use of an online survey distributed February 12–26, 2016 and was targeted to be representative of the population of the Midwestern states sampled in terms of sex, age, income, and state of residence. Specific factors identified as significant in contributing to provider usage (in the past five years) differed across the eleven provider types studied. In the most commonly used practitioners (the general or primary physician), relationships between provider usage and age, income, health insurance coverage status, and having children in the household were identified. Furthermore, significant (and positive) correlations were identified between the usage of various practitioners; reporting the use of one type of practitioner studied was correlated positively with reporting the use of another type of health care provider studied in this analysis. This analysis provides insight into the relationships between health care provider usage and demographics of individuals, which can aid in the development of educational materials, outreach programs, and policy development.