Title
Health status of a low-income vulnerable population in a community health center
UMMS Affiliation
Department of Family Medicine and Community Health; Center for Health Policy and Research, Office of Community Programs
Publication Date
2005-02-03
Document Type
Article
Subjects
Adult; *Community Health Centers; Female; *Health Status Indicators; Humans; Male; Massachusetts; Medical Audit; Patient Satisfaction; *Poverty; Questionnaires; Urban Health Services
Disciplines
Community Health and Preventive Medicine | Preventive Medicine | Primary Care
Abstract
Healthcare safety net providers are under increasing pressure to meet the physical and mental health--as well as the range of social service-needs of traditionally vulnerable and hard-to-reach populations. The extent to which health center patients are less well and in poorer health than is the rest of society, thus requiring greater depth and breadth of service, has not generally been the focus of systematic assessment. This case study uses the 12-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12) and selected years of healthy life questions from the National Health Interview Survey to assess the self-perceived health status of patients at one Section 330 community health center in central Massachusetts. Five hundred thirteen patients completed all questions on the SF-12; 619 completed each of the years of healthy life questions. Respondents' physical and mental component summary scores were significantly lower than national norms for all age groups (P < .001). Respondents were also significantly more likely than the civilian noninstitutionalized population to be unable to perform major activities (P < .0001) and to be in fair or poor health (P < .0001). Analyses give an indication of the magnitude of difference in self-perceived health status between this poor, vulnerable population and the citizenry at large and suggest implications for policy related to safety net healthcare facilities.
Source
J Ambul Care Manage. 2005 Jan-Mar;28(1):60-72.
Journal/Book/Conference Title
The Journal of ambulatory care management
Related Resources
PubMed ID
15682962
Repository Citation
Cashman SB, Savageau JA, McMullen M, Kinney R, Lemay CA, Anthes F. (2005). Health status of a low-income vulnerable population in a community health center. Family Medicine and Community Health Publications. Retrieved from https://escholarship.umassmed.edu/fmch_articles/22