Development of a new measure of encounters with health care barriers: The Commonly Experienced Health Care Barriers Index.

Abstract

Common barriers to health care, such as lack of insurance or transportation, hold a key theoretical role in many models attempting to explain problems with health care utilization (not seeking needed health care). However, the assessment of barriers is often post hoc, with no existing scales appropriate for a general population. This study developed and tested a new measure of commonly experienced health care barriers across three studies (Study 1, N = 194; Study 2, N = 206; Study 3, N = 741). Items were developed in line with recommendations for causal indicator models, emphasizing content validity. The measure showed preliminary test-retest reliability, sensitivity to health care inequities between Black and White individuals (beyond socioeconomic status and including association with health care discrimination), expected associations with health care utilization problems and other health experiences and life stressors, and unique associations with health care utilization problems accounting for health experiences and life stressors. The new measure has the potential to identify modifiable factors related to health care inequities and common problems with health care utilization. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).