Examining Racial DiffEREncEs

Access to primary care is a challenging concept to objectively measure; however, as health care legislation, policies, and programs are developed to address inadequacies, access to primary care remains an important aspect of health service research. In the past, researchers have often used subjective patient survey data or patient interviews to evaluate access.1-3 Self-report data may be the best measure of an individual’s access to primary care.1 However, researchers have developed objective methods to measure access to primary care, assess quality of health care services, and evaluate health care policies.4,5 One particular methodology involves investigating the number of preventable hospitalizations due to ambulatory care sensitive (ACS) conditions in a population or geographic area.1,6 Access to primary care may be a barrier to certain populations, especially those with chronic illnesses. This may be especially true in people living with systemic lupus erythematosus, commonly referred to as lupus. Lupus is a life-long, chronic illness that can affect major organs, including kidneys, heart, and lungs. Because of lupus disease characteristics, it is often difficult to diagnose in a timely manner.7 Minorities and women face higher prevalence and incidence rates of lupus, and it appears to have more of a burden for this population. African American women experience an increased prevalence of lupus compared with Caucasian women.8-10 Limited access to primary care or available services combined with the increased possibility of a delayed lupus diagnosis can negatively imOriginal Report: