Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Access to Care Among Adults with Cardiovascular Disease.

Abstract

Racial and ethnic disparities persist in cardiovascular disease (CVD) care. Using the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, we conducted a retrospective cross-sectional study to assess access to care for CVD patients. Unadjusted analysis of 4,686 participants indicated lower consistent access to appointments for Hispanic individuals and lower timely access to care for Black and Hispanic individuals compared with the White cohort. After adjusting for predisposing, enabling, and external factors, differences were no longer significant. Individuals aged 45-64 and those 65 and older had higher odds of consistent access to appointments and timely access to care than younger individuals. Those with only public insurance (OR=0.85, p<.05) and the uninsured (OR=0.34, p<.001) had lower consistent access to appointments than individuals with any private insurance. This study highlights the need for culturally sensitive care and targeted interventions to address socioeconomic barriers in CVD management, ensuring equitable, high-quality care for all racial and ethnic groups.