Colonoscopist and primary care physician supply and disparities in colorectal cancer screening.

ABSTRACT: OBJECTIVE. : To determine whether racial/ethnic disparities in colonoscopy use vary by physician availability. DATA SOURCE. : We used 100 percent Texas Medicare claims data for 2003-2007. STUDY DESIGN. : We identified beneficiaries aged 66-79 in 2007, examined racial/ethnic differences in colonoscopy use from 2003 to 2007, and estimated the percentage of white, black, and Hispanic beneficiaries who underwent colonoscopy by level of physician availability and area income. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS. : For the 974,879 beneficiaries, colonoscopy use was higher in whites (40.7 percent) compared to blacks (35.0 percent) and Hispanics (28.7 percent, p< .001). For whites, increasing availability of colonoscopists and primary care physicians (PCPs) was associated with higher colonoscopy use. For blacks an

SUBMITTER: Benarroch-Gampel J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3243108 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature