
Management Faculty Publications and Presentations
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
Summer 2020
Abstract
Objective: Disparities in access to primary health care have led to health disadvantages among Latinos and other non-White racial groups. To better identify and understand which policies are most likely to improve health care for Latinos, we examined differences in access to primary care between Latinos with proficient English language skills and Latinos with limited English proficiency (LEP) and estimated the extent of access to primary care providers (PCPs) among Latinos in the U.S. Method: We used agent-based modeling techniques to estimate the effects of English proficiency, insurance coverage, Latinos with LEP seeking care from English-speaking PCPs, distance to PCP, PCP availability, and Spanish-speaking PCP availability on access to primary care. We used NetLogo 6.0 to simulate a community of 10,000 Latinos seeking care for a 6-month period, running 5 controlled experiments to determine if population-level outcomes varied by scenario. Results: Models suggested that Latinos with LEP would likely delay care less often if policies were implemented to expand health insurance coverage, address linguistic barriers and promote an inclusive health care climate for patients with LEP, reduce mobility barriers, increase the number of PCPs, and train more Spanish-speaking PCPs. Conclusions: Findings support results from prior studies suggesting that policies and programs that help Latino patients overcome linguistic and cultural barriers to health care will improve Latinos’ access to care.
Recommended Citation
Oh, H., Trinh, M.P., Vang, C. and Becerra, D., 2020. Addressing barriers to primary care access for Latinos in the US: an agent-based model. Journal of the Society for Social Work and Research, 11(2), pp.165-184. https://doi.org/10.1086/708616
Publication Title
Journal of the Society for Social Work and Research
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1086/708616
Included in
Business Administration, Management, and Operations Commons, Social Statistics Commons, Social Work Commons
Comments
© 2020 by the Society for Social Work and Research. All rights reserved