The 2017 Community Health Status Survey (CHSS) has found that about seven in 10 adults in the region (71 percent) reported having a usual and appropriate place for health care.
This percentage rose from 74 percent in 2005 to 82 percent in 2013, but declined in 2017.
Northern Kentucky adults reported similar percentages to the region as a whole; 68 percent reported having a usual and appropriate place for health care. However this rate declined since 2013, when it reached 86 percent.
“It’s concerning to see this drop. We know that adults in the region who previously had been uninsured gained coverage during the time since the previous survey,” says O’dell M. Owens, M.D., M.P.H., President/CEO of Interact for Health. “Recent research suggests that newly insured adults may not have an established health care routine. We will continue to monitor future surveys to determine if this is temporary or a new trend in accessing care.”
The 2017 Community Health Status Survey (CHSS) was conducted by the Institute for Policy Research at the University of Cincinnati, for Interact for Health. A total of 4,261 randomly selected adults residing in eight Ohio counties, nine Kentucky counties, and five Indiana counties were interviewed by telephone between August 10, 2016, and March 8, 2017.
Having a usual and appropriate place for health care is an important way to ensure that people get regular preventive care. Such care can catch minor problems before they become serious. People with a usual and appropriate place for care have better health outcomes and fewer health disparities than those who do not.
Percentage of adults who have a usual and appropriate place for healthcare, by year (click to enlarge)
This important indicator of general health was adopted as one of Greater Cincinnati’s Bold Goals in health in 2011.
“Though the gap has widened between those who currently report having a usual and appropriate place for health care (71 percent) and the Bold Goal that 95 percent of the community report having a usual place, it is to be hoped that this is a short-term setback,” says Ross Meyer, senior vice president of community impact for United Way of Greater Cincinnati. “We are continuing our efforts with Interact for Health and other community organizations in initiatives designed to move us closer to the goal.”
Percentage of insured adults who have usual and appropriate place for care declines
CHSS found that the percentage of insured adults who reported having a usual and appropriate place for care dropped from 88 percent in 2013 to 73 percent in 2017. In addition, insured adults who bought their own plan were less likely to report a usual and appropriate place for care in 2017 (60 percent) than in 2013 (85 percent).
Age and insurance status play role in having an appropriate place for care
Older adults are more likely than younger adults to report having a usual and appropriate place for health care. Nearly 9 in 10 adults ages 65 and older (86 percent) reported having a usual and appropriate place for health care. That compares with about half of adults ages 18 to 29 (55 percent).
Having a usual and appropriate place for health care also varies by insurance status. Just fewer than 5 in 10 uninsured adults (48 percent) reported having a usual and appropriate place for health care. That compares with 7 in 10 insured adults (73 percent).
More information about Greater Cincinnati adults’ place for usual and appropriate care, and other topics, is available online at www.interactforhealth.org/community-health-status-survey.
The 2017 Community Health Status Survey included 1,906 landline interviews and 2,355 cell phone interviews. The potential sampling error for the overall survey data is ±1.5%. For more information about the CHSS and a list of community partners, click here .
Interact for Health serves as a catalyst for health and wellness by promoting healthy living through grants, education, research, policy and engagement. Interact for Health is an independent foundation that serves 20 counties in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana.
More information is available here .
Interact For Health
