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A Single Source of Health Care: Does It Affect Health Experiences for Inner-City Children?
- Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved
- Johns Hopkins University Press
- Volume 11, Number 2, May 2000
- pp. 151-162
- 10.1353/hpu.2010.0699
- Article
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This study was designed to determine whether having a single source of health care affects the health experiences of inner-city children. Seventy-five women were interviewed about the health experiences of their preschool-aged children (range 10-58 months) and were asked about utilization, emergency room use, preventive care, delays in care, and availability of a provider for the child's various medical needs. While most (94.7 percent) of the mothers identified a regular source of care for fair child's preventive care, 74.7 percent named the same source for their child's sick care. There were no differences in most measures between mothers with a single source of care and those with multiple sources. However, those with a single source of care reported feeling their providers were more available (p < 0.05). Thus, naming a single source of health care may not be a useful indicator of better health experiences for inner-city children.