Patient Satisfaction

Abstract

African American women are less likely than other groups of women to use health care services despite an equal or greater need. In particular, they may rely more frequently on informal sources of health care advice, such as family members and/or social support networks. Very little is known about how African American women view the health care system because few studies have investigated the impact of race and gender on patient satisfaction. To address this gap, we analyzed transcripts of focus groups conducted with African American women about their attitudes toward health care, especially their expectations and experiences of the doctor-patient relationship. African American (AA) women in this study reported preferences for doctors who did not rush them through their appointments, who explained what was happening during the examination, who respected their need for self-determination, and who had a holistic focus on the patient. During this period of rapid change in the health care system, such information about how individuals of diverse backgrounds perceive the health care system is critical to ensure broad access and reduce disparities in utilization.

What Young African American Women Want in a Health Care Provider

“…Consistent with previous research (Christen, et al, 2008; Copeland, Scholle, & Binko, 2003; Howell, et al, 2002; Mavis, Vasilenko, Schnuth, Marshall, & Colavito, 2005), verbal and nonverbal communication were critical to a successful client-provider interaction. English speaking ability of non-native providers was of primary concern.…”

Provider Characteristics Desired by African American Women in Prenatal Care

“…Handler, Rosenberg, Raube, and Lyons (2003) found that African American women were more satisfied with prenatal care when providers engaged them by asking and answering questions, explaining procedures, and spending more time with them. Other studies on what women expect from providers have been completed but have not focused on pregnant African American women (Carr-Copeland, Hudson-Scholle, & Binko, 2003; Houle, Harwood, Watkins, & Baum, 2007) or reported the race of the pregnant women (Douglas, Cervin, & Bower, 2007). Given the opportunity that prenatal care presents to intervene with pregnant women, it is important to examine the qualities desired in a prenatal provider in order to improve the patient–provider relationship and overall quality of prenatal care.…”

African-American Breast Cancer Survivors Participating in a Breast Cancer Support Group: Translating Research into Practice

“…With regard to cancer screening behaviors, family networks are associated with both recent cancer screening and the intention to screen for cancer [11]. In addition, African Americans often rely on informal sources of health care advice such as family members and church based support [12], suggesting a potential influence on treatment adherence particularly among a survivor group that has reported difficulty talking about the disease [13]. …”