Race/Ethnicity and Health Care Communication: Does Patient-Provider Concordance Matter?

Background: Although many minority patients would prefer a provider of their own race/ethnicity, the influence of this relationship on patient-provider communication remains unknown. This analysis examined the effect of patient-provider race/ethnicity concordance on patient-reported provider communication quality using data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey years 2002-2012.

Methods: Ordinary least squares regressions were executed on communication rating, measured by the Consumer Assessment of Health Providers and Systems.

Results: Only 13.8% of black, non-Hispanic patients reported their usual source of care provider matched their race/ethnicity, compared with 94.4% of white, non-Hispanic patients and 43.8% of Hispanic patients. Differences in communication ratings were driven by patient race, rather than provider race. Although black, non-Hispanic patients rate their communication significantly higher than their counterparts overall, there was no significant influence of patient-provider racial concordance on ratings of communication when controlling for other sociodemographic variables.

Conclusions: Minorities may seek the services of minority providers, but they are not more satisfied with patient-provider communication experience than when in race-discordant provider arrangements.