Disabled Patients' Experiences of Healthcare Services in a Nationally Representative Sample of U.S. Adults

To examine patient-reported experiences of healthcare services by disability status.

We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) measures of overall healthcare satisfaction, timeliness of care, and patient-provider interactions to assess differences by disability status and, among those with a disability, between those with sensory, physical, cognitive, or multiple disabilities.

CAHPS measures included in the 2021 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey for U.S. adults.

People with disabilities reported significantly lower ratings of healthcare services compared to the general population (7.98, 95% CI: 7.89-8.08 vs. 8.38, 95% CI: 8.34-8.43 on a scale of 0 [worst] to 10 [best]), with the lowest satisfaction among people with multiple disabilities (7.87, 95% CI: 7.72-8.02). Disabled people reported worse experiences on all measures compared to people without disabilities. People with physical, cognitive, and multiple disabilities reported significantly worse experiences of healthcare services than those with sensory disabilities.

In a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults, disabled people reported lower satisfaction with healthcare services, less timely care, and worse provider interactions than people without disabilities. Changes to policy and practice are needed to improve healthcare experiences for disabled people.