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Chinatown women's perceptions about their experiences with the U.S. health care delivery system
Objective: This qualitative study explores Chinatown women’s experiences with the U.S. health care delivery system, with a focus on their access to care, attitudes toward health insurance, and interactions with health care providers in the U.S.
Methods: We conducted seven focus groups among Chinese-speaking adult women (n=60) in Chicago’s Chinatown. Focus groups were transcribed, coded, and analyzed for emergent themes.
Results: Of the 60 focus group participants, the majority (83%) had health insurance – largely Medicaid or Medicare. Nearly a third (32%) did not have a primary care provider. Focus group participants expressed mixed attitudes toward the U.S. health care delivery system. While many women expressed relief that they had health insurance coverage, they also faced many challenges belying the access to care afforded by their insurance coverage. Language barriers in particular posed a nearly insurmountable burden. For example, many women reported that they could not read the insurance documents that were mailed to them only in English. Most women assigned to non-Chinese speaking health care providers described not knowing that they could change their health care providers. In addition, many women were not satisfied with their interactions with their health care providers – citing lower quality of care among several Chinese-speaking neighborhood physicians and language barriers making it difficult to request interpreter services for non-Chinese-speaking providers within larger health care systems.
Conclusions: Health care reform seeks to increase access to quality health care, but this qualitative study suggests that particular attention is needed on improving health care delivery and support systems for non-English speaking populations.
Learning Areas:
Assessment of individual and community needs for health educationPublic health or related research
Learning Objectives:
Discuss Chinatown women’s experiences with the U.S. health care delivery system, with a focus on their access to care, attitudes toward health insurance, and interactions with health care providers in the U.S.
Keyword(s): Public Health Research, Asian and Pacific Islanders
Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am the navigation project coordinator and a navigator since the beginning of this program. I organized, moderated, and helped in transcription and translation for these focus groups. I have no conflict of interests to disclose.
Any relevant financial relationships? No
I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.