Preventive Discussions with Health Care Providers: Exploring Differences by Race/Ethnicity and Place

The goal of the current investigation was to explore differences in discussions of health topics with health care providers by race/ethnicity and place to identify who is receiving this preventive care and where it is being received in a low-income urban area in which people are at increased risk of chronic disease. 1,147 adults responded to a health survey in New Haven, Connecticut. Black and Latino participants reported that their health care providers discussed more topics with them than White participants reported. Participants who received care at community health centers and hospital primary care centers discussed more topics than participants who received care at hospital emergency departments and private doctors' offices. Findings suggest that community health centers are important sources of preventive care in low-income urban settings, thereby supporting the goals of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the community health center model of care delivery.