Association Between Limited English Proficiency and Healthcare Access and Utilization in California (Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health)
Summary: In this study, researchers aimed to investigate health care access and utilization among patients with limited English proficiency (LEP). A total of 21,177 participants were included with 8.2% having LEP.
Findings: Compared to participants with proficient English, LEP participants were less likely to have a usual place to go to when sick other than the ER or have a preventive care visit in the past year after adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics. However, LEP participants were also less likely to need to see a medical specialist and less likely to delay necessary medical care compared to English proficient participants. While patients with LEP were less likely to have access to preventative care, they were also less likely to delay necessary care.
This study uses data from the 2018 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS).
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