Disparities in the Clinical Encounter: Virginia's African American Children with Special Health Care Needs

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Health Services
• Health Disparities Research
• Maternal and Child Health

Background:

• Children with special healthcare needs often face access barriers.
• Racial and ethnic disparities in healthcare are a persistent public health concern.
• State-level analysis is crucial for understanding and addressing specific healthcare inequities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze racial and ethnic disparities in healthcare access and quality for children with special healthcare needs in Virginia.
• To identify specific areas where African American children experience worse outcomes compared to white children.
• To inform targeted interventions for reducing healthcare inequities.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs for Virginia.
• Employed logistic regression models to assess the impact of various factors on core Maternal and Child Health Bureau outcomes.
• Defined disparities based on the significance of race/ethnicity as a predictor in the models.

Main Results:

• African American children were less likely to have a usual source for sick and preventive care.
• African American children were less likely to have a personal doctor or nurse.
• Parents of African American children reported less positive experiences regarding communication and partnership with healthcare providers.

Conclusions:

• Significant race/ethnicity disparities exist in healthcare access and quality for children with special healthcare needs in Virginia.
• Targeted, state-level interventions are necessary to address these identified healthcare inequities.
• Improving provider communication and ensuring consistent access to care are key areas for remediation.