Table 2.

Characteristics of studies assessing preferences for provider demographics and attributes (n=11)

Study	Medically Underserved Population	Study design	Sample Size	Provider Preference Assessed	Findings
Carey Jackson 2000	Racial/ethnic minorities	Mixed Methods (Survey + Interviews)	455 (Cambodian-American)	Gender	77% preferred a female provider, 73% preferred a female interpreter. (n=413, survey only)
Haworth 2014a	Racial/ethnic minorities	Mixed Methods (Survey + Focus Groups)	69 (Bhutanese refugeesb)	Gender	Women almost unanimously preferred female doctors. (n = 27, focus groups only)
Lanier 1999	Racial/ethnic minorities	Cross-sectional Survey	481 (AI/ANc)	Gender	48% preferred a female provider, 2% preferred a male provider, 50% had no preference. 18% would refuse a male provider.
Ma 2012	Racial/ethnic minorities	Cross-sectional Survey	1416 (Vietnamese)	Gender	60% preferred female provider, 3.5% preferred male provider, 36.5% had no preference.
Reed 2002a	Racial/ethnic minorities	Qualitative (Focus Groups)	26 (Somalia: 10, Central America: 6, Vietnam: 10)	Gender	Somali women preferred female providers and interpreters.
Nguyen 2002	Racial/ethnic minorities	Cross-sectional Survey	1566 (Vietnamese, Vietnamese-American, or Vietnamese-Chinesed)	Gender Language	57.2% preferred a female doctor for a Pap test. 52.9% preferred a female standby if male doctor performs a Pap test. 64.4% preferred a Vietnamese-speaking doctor for a Pap test.
Kim 2017	Racial/ethnic minorities	Qualitative (Interviews)	32 (KIW)	Gender Communication style Language	Majority preferred a female doctor. Some KIW wanted more dialogue with their doctors about Pap test results, rather than a letter or phone message. Majority preferred a Korean-speaking doctor.
Torres 2013	Racial/ethnic minorities	Qualitative (Interviews)	45 (Hispanic)	Gender Language Examiner type	Most expressed comfort in speaking to another woman about women’s health issues but preferred a doctor, who was generally perceived to be male, over a nurse, who was perceived as female, for screening. Majority preferred healthcare professional who speaks Spanish. Preferred receiving information from a doctor versus a nurse.
McAlearney 2012	Rural residents	Qualitative (Focus Groups)	36 (Appalachian Ohio)	Gender Communication style	Majority preferred female providers. Preferred patient-centered communication.
Alexander 1981e	Racial/ethnic minorities	Cross-sectional Survey	509 (Mexican-American)	Gender, Examiner type	44% preferred female physician, 4% male physician, 10% nurse or nurse practitioner, 8% female person, 34% no preference.
	Low-income	Cross-sectional Survey	1956	Gender, Examiner type	33% preferred female physician, 6% male physician, 12% nurse or nurse practitioner, 9% female person, 40% no preference.
Agénor 2015	Racial/ethnic minorities & LGBTQ populations	Qualitative (Focus Groups)	18 (Black or AA and LBQ)	Gender, Race/Ethnicity Examiner type Communication style	Majority preferred providers who identified as a woman, person of color, and/or LGBTQ. Many preferred to receive care from a physician’s assistant, registered nurse, or nurse practitioner. Preferred providers who had experience and felt comfortable serving LBQ patients and were willing to explain the Pap test process with a “calm demeanor and gentle touch.”

^aIncluded in more than one results table

^bSurveys: 42, Focus groups: 27

^cMembers of a federally recognized AI/AN group or tribe

^dEthnic Chinese who were born or had lived in Vietnam

^eStratified results by racial/ethnic minority and income

Abbreviations: Korean immigrant women (KIW); African-American (AA); Lesbian, bisexual, or queer (LBQ); AI/AN (American Indian/Alaskan Native)