Physician-patient racial matching, effectiveness of care, use of services,and patient satisfaction

The authors examined how racial matching between older patients and physici ans relates to effectiveness of care, use of services, and satisfaction wit h care. In this cross-sectional, community-based cohort study, 2,867 elderl y African American and White North Carolina residents with regular physicia ns were interviewed and screened for hypertension (HBP). African Americans were more likely than Whites to be told they had HBP, to receive HBP medica tion, and to take it regardless of their physician's race. White elders wit h African American physicians were more likely to report that they delayed care quite often. African American elders were less likely to delay care qu ite often, regardless of their physicians' race. These results did not supp ort the position that African Americans require treatment by African Americ an physicians to achieve better care. Although elders of both races who had African American physicians were less satisfied with care received, interp retation of this finding is difficult without better measurement of patient satisfaction.