Table 2.
Perceptions of Healthcare Providers’ Communication Skills and Autonomy-Making Decisions among Whites, by Ethnic Group
| MEPS items pertaining to healthcare provider communication skills | % Reporting “always” to items regarding health care provider communication | Adjusted OR (95% CI)a |
|---|---|---|
| Provider listened carefully to themb | ||
| White Hispanic | 57.5 | 1.36 (1.21–1.53) |
| White non-Hispanic | 54.4 | 1.00 |
| Provider explained things so they understoodb | ||
| White Hispanic | 59.0 | 1.25 (1.10–1.41) |
| White non-Hispanic | 57.4 | 1.00 |
| Provider showed respect for what they had to sayb | ||
| White Hispanic | 63.1 | 1.52 (1.35–1.72) |
| White non-Hispanic | 57.9 | 1.00 |
| Provider spent enough time with themb | ||
| White Hispanic | 46.0 | 1.22 (1.08–1.38) |
| White non-Hispanic | 45.0 | 1.00 |
| Provider asks person to help make health care decisionsc | ||
| White Hispanic | 46.0 | 0.87 (0.76–1.00) |
| White non-Hispanic | 54.0 | 1.00 |
| Provider gives person control of treatmentc | ||
| White Hispanic | 42.6 | 0.83 (0.72–0.95) |
| White Non-Hispanic | 52.1 | 1.00 |
MEPS = Medical Expenditures Panel Survey
aStatistical significance indicated by bold highlights
bEstimates pertain to white civilian, noninstitutionalized U.S. adults who had visited a healthcare provider in the previous 12 months and responded to each question. Multiple logistic regression model adjusted for gender, age, place of residence, family income, educational attainment, census region, health insurance status, and usual source of care
cEstimates pertain to white civilian, noninstitutionalized U.S. adults who reported having a usual source of care in 2002. Multiple logistic regression model adjusted for gender, age, place of residence, family income, educational attainment, census region, and health insurance status