Who serves the underserved? Predictors of physician care to medically indigent patients. Export

@article{citeulike:1705954, abstract = {Using a national sample of 466 doctors, this work is the first to determine how sociodemographic characteristics, family lives, educational experiences and work environments combine over the life course to shape physician attitudes and behaviors toward serving the medically indigent. Survey data reveal that most physicians have positive experiences with indigent patients, and feel responsible for providing care for the needy. On average, one-quarter of doctors' patients are medically indigent, and physicians provide six hours of charity care per week. Multivariate regression and path analyses indicate that disparate social forces predict humanitarian attitudes and behaviors of physicians. Physician attitudes toward the indigent are shaped largely by socializing forces, including medical education and relationships with mentors. In contrast, care of indigent patients is driven by physician attitudes and by characteristics of medical practice such as specialty and practice setting. Implications for scholarship and for medical education, practice and health policy are discussed.}, address = {Bates College, Lewiston, Maine 04240, USA. hchiraya@bates.edu}, author = {Chirayath, H. T.}, citeulike-article-id = {1705954}, citeulike-linkout-0 = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1363459306064477}, citeulike-linkout-1 = {http://view.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16775015}, citeulike-linkout-2 = {http://www.hubmed.org/display.cgi?uids=16775015}, doi = {10.1177/1363459306064477}, issn = {1363-4593}, journal = {Health (London)}, keywords = {pgp, safetynet, uncompensatedcare}, month = {July}, number = {3}, pages = {259--282}, posted-at = {2007-09-28 18:38:04}, priority = {5}, title = {Who serves the underserved? Predictors of physician care to medically indigent patients.}, url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1363459306064477}, volume = {10}, year = {2006} }

TY - JOUR ID - citeulike:1705954 L3 - citeulike-article-id:1705954 N2 - Using a national sample of 466 doctors, this work is the first to determine how sociodemographic characteristics, family lives, educational experiences and work environments combine over the life course to shape physician attitudes and behaviors toward serving the medically indigent. Survey data reveal that most physicians have positive experiences with indigent patients, and feel responsible for providing care for the needy. On average, one-quarter of doctors' patients are medically indigent, and physicians provide six hours of charity care per week. Multivariate regression and path analyses indicate that disparate social forces predict humanitarian attitudes and behaviors of physicians. Physician attitudes toward the indigent are shaped largely by socializing forces, including medical education and relationships with mentors. In contrast, care of indigent patients is driven by physician attitudes and by characteristics of medical practice such as specialty and practice setting. Implications for scholarship and for medical education, practice and health policy are discussed. IS - 3 JF - Health (London) SN - 1363-4593 AD - Bates College, Lewiston, Maine 04240, USA. hchiraya@bates.edu EP - 282 TI - Who serves the underserved? Predictors of physician care to medically indigent patients. VL - 10 SP - 259 KW - pgp KW - safetynet KW - uncompensatedcare AU - Chirayath, HT PY - 2006/07// UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1363459306064477 ER -