This study examined whether patients’ perceptions of their primary care providers’ (PCP) listening frequency were associated with emergency department (ED) utilization, including a comparison to patients without PCPs. Data were obtained from the 2015 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS). Respondents were asked if they had a PCP and how often their PCPs listened, resulting in five groups: patients without a PCP, and patients with a PCP who perceived the PCP’s listening frequency to be never, sometimes, usually, or always. Multiple linear regression was performed to determine if patient-perceived listening frequency of the PCP was associated with the patient’s number of ED visits in the prior year, adjusting for various demographic, social, and health factors.

Findings: Compared to patients without a PCP, patients with a PCP had on average 0.15 more ED visits in a year, highest among those whose PCPs were perceived as listening the least. Other significant increases in ED visits were associated with public insurance, African-American race, English proficiency, younger age, self-rated fair-to-poor health, asthma, and hypertension.

Patients who perceived their PCP as listening less frequently had more ED visits than patients whose PCPs were perceived as listening more frequently, and compared to patients without a PCP.

This study cites 2015 CHIS data.