Table 1.
Characteristics of Usual Providers for Adults with Serious Psychological Distress* (N = 2358)†
| Usual provider characteristics | Percentage (%)‡ |
|---|---|
| 1. Participant has a primary care provider or outpatient clinic where they usually go when sick or in need of medical advice | 78.3 |
| 2. Provider delivers comprehensive services | |
| a. Is this the place/provider that you would go for new health problems? (Yes) | 96.1 |
| b. Is this the place/provider that you would go for preventive health services? (Yes) | 96.6 |
| c. Is this the place/provider that you would go for ongoing health problems? (Yes) | 96.6 |
| d. Is this the place/provider that you would go for referral to a specialist? (Yes) | 95.2 |
| e. Does this place/provider usually ask about prescription medication and treatments other doctors may have given? (Yes) | 76.3 |
| 3. Provider delivers patient-centered services | |
| a. Does this place/provider present and explain all options to you? (Yes) | 87.9 |
| b. If there were a choice between treatments, how often would the place/provider ask you to help make the decision? (Always/Usually) | 70.4 |
| c. How often does the place/provider show respect for medical, traditional and alternative treatments that you are happy with? (Always/Usually) | 76.0 |
| 4. Enhanced access to providers | |
| a. How difficult is it to contact a medical person by telephone during regular business hours about a health problem? (Not too difficult/Not at all difficult) | 72.2 |
| b. Does this provider have office hours on the evenings or weekends? (Yes) or How difficult is it to contact a medical person at the provider’s office after their regular hours in case of urgent medical needs? (Not too difficult/Not at all difficult) | 54.6 |
| c. Does the place/provider speak the language you prefer or provide translation services for you? (Yes) | 99.6 |
| Type of usual provider | |
| No usual provider (none of the above criteria) | 21.8 |
| Usual provider (criteria 1, but not all 4) | 57.1 |
| PCMH (all of the above criteria 1, 2, 3, and 4) | 21.1 |
*Serious psychological distress defined as a score of 13 or higher on the 6-item Kessler Psychological Distress Scale
† Data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Longitudinal Data files, Panels 9–15 (2004–2011)
‡Weighted percentage that met each PCMH criteria. All items were treated as 1/0 indicator variables where positive responses (“yes,” “usually” or “always,” and “not at all difficult” or “not too difficult”) were coded 1 and all other responses (“no,” “sometimes” or “never”, “somewhat difficult” or “very difficult,” and “don’t know”) were coded 0