Document Type
Journal ArticlePublication Date
2004-11-01Keywords
AdolescentAdult
*Ambulatory Care Facilities
Child
Child, Preschool
Female
Humans
Infant
Insurance Coverage
Male
Massachusetts
Middle Aged
*Patients
Poverty
Socioeconomic Factors
Community Health
Other Medical Specialties
Preventive Medicine
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
This study examined factors associated with the use of three free clinics located in Central Massachusetts. A total of 248 patients completed a questionnaire during the 2-month study period. Descriptive results showed a majority of free clinic patients are low-income, uninsured, and female. Many patients (62%) do not have a usual source of care, nor do they know where to go if the clinic is not open (61%). Most (82%) report using free clinics because they lack insurance. Patients who had been using the free clinics longer than 1 year are more likely to use the clinic because of inadequate insurance (p = 0.002) and as a way to obtain prescription drugs (p < 0.001). Although they serve an important need, free clinics cannot provide comprehensive, continuous care. Efforts to provide health care to the medically underserved must take these findings into consideration if they are to be successful.Source
J Health Care Poor Underserved. 2004 Nov;15(4):603-17.Permanent Link to this Item
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14038/30982PubMed ID
15531818Notes
Medical students Rachel Mott Keis and Linda Gifford DeGeus participated in this study as part of the Senior Scholars research program at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.