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Primary Care Access and Quality: Two Sides of the Same Coin—Reply
Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2004;158:185-186.
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In reply
The comments by Dr Stevens are thoughtful and important, in that they highlight the interconnection between the quality of and disparities in health care. A growing body of literature shows that, among adults, disparities can be reduced by improving the quality of care for all patients.1-2 This is being demonstrated through a collaborative effort among community health clinics sponsored by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement and the Bureau of Primary Health Care that focuses on improving the quality of health care for minority patients with chronic diseases (http://ihi.org/collaboratives/hdc.asp). Unfortunately, we have yet to conduct similar studies and demonstration projects for children and adolescents.
Stevens states that access and quality are 2 sides of the same coin. As he implies, ensuring financial access to health care does not, invariably, result in improved quality. As the adage goes, access is necessary but not sufficient. This is especially true . . . [Full Text of this Article]
Arthur Elster, MD
Medicine and Public Health
American Medical Association
515 N State St
Chicago, IL 60610
RELATED ARTICLE
Primary Care Access and Quality: Two Sides of the Same Coin
Gregory D. Stevens and Leiyu Shi
Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2004;158(2):185.
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