Candidate: Anne G. Zahradnik

Degree of: Doctor of Philosophy

Department: Public Affairs and Administration

Title: Providing Uninsured Adults with Free or Low-cost Primary Care: Does it Influence Their Use of Hospital Emergency Departments?

Committee: Dr. Matthew S. Mingus, Chair
Dr. Victoria Ross
Dr. Chul Young-Roh

Date: Monday, April 17, 2006 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
College of Health and Human Services 2024

Abstract: This study analyzes one component of the healthcare safety net to determine whether or not being enrolled in a free or low-cost primary care physician access program subsequently affects emergency room utilization by uninsured adults ages 18 through 64. Those individual decisions are analyzed from both public goods and rational choice schemas. Additionally, physician access programs of different formats (a low-cost physician referral program and a free walk-in clinic) are analyzed and compared for relative effectiveness. The study is a quantitative analysis of more than 40,000 individual patient records rather than relying on qualitative patient recall or on analyzing broad community trends. An Intensity of Use Indicator (IUI) was developed in the course of this study to provide a summarizing number for tracking individual and group emergency departments utilization trends. The IUI should prove useful to hospital and other not-for-profit organizations concerned with tracking cost effectiveness of programs for uninsured adults.

Related Topics

Main List of Archives:
Dissertation Defenses

Current Dissertation Defenses