Profession
Some minorities more likely to be unhappy with kids' special needs care
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted May 8, 2006
Hispanic and black parents of children with special health care needs are twice as likely as white parents to be dissatisfied with their child's care, according to a study in the April issue of Pediatrics.
Researchers found that 13% of black parents and 17% of Hispanic parents were unhappy with their child's care, in contrast to 7% of white parents. More than one-third of black or Hispanic parents reported problems with how easy it was to use health care services; less than one-fourth of white parents reported problems. Researchers at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee and Children's Hospital of Wisconsin Center for Advancement of Underserved Children studied outcomes data on 38,886 children with special health care needs in the national survey.
The study said parental interview language was the key factor in Hispanic parents' dissatisfaction with care and ease in use of services. Inadequacy of family-centered care was the key factor in black/white disparities in satisfaction with care.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2006/05/08/prbf0508.htm.
