Evaluating health-care needs of the poor: a community-oriented approach

Abstract

Purpose: Concern has arisen over the provision of health care for the poor. In a project sponsored by a local community hospital, we conducted a telephone survey to determine unmet health-care needs of low-income families living in Orange County, California, and made recommendations to address those needs.

Methods: The survey assessed demographic characteristics and access to medical care of 652 adults and their families.

Results: In general, we found that the poor (incomes below 125% of the poverty level), the uninsured, and the Latino respondents had lower access measures than the nearly poor (incomes between 125% and 200% of the poverty level), insured, and Anglo subjects. However, insurance status was the strongest predictor of access in this low-income population. Important unmet health-care needs included prenatal care and preventive care. In response to our findings, the sponsoring hospital has instituted new health-care programs to help meet these needs.

Conclusion: This community-oriented approach for improving problems of access to medical care for the poor may be appropriate for other localities.