Quality of Health Care for Asian Americans: A Fact Sheet

March 1, 2002

Author(s): Dora L. Hughes

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Overview

The Asian American and Pacific Islander population is the fastest- growing minority population in America. Currently numbering 10.9 million people (about 4% of the total U.S. population), this population is projected to reach 37 million (9.3% of the U.S. pop- ulation) by the year 2050.

The Commonwealth Fund 2001 Health Care Quality Sur- vey sampled 669 Asian Americans, allowing relevant subgroup comparisons. These subgroups included adults of Chinese,Korean, Vietnamese, Filipino, Indian, and Japanese heritage. Overall, the survey found that despite their comparatively higher socioeco- nomic status (as measured by income and education) Asian Americans reported poorer quality of health care than the over- all population. Asian Americans had greater communication diffi- culties with their physicians, fewer preventive services and less chronic disease care, and less satisfaction with the quality of their health care.

Citation

Quality of Health Care for Asian Americans: A Fact Sheet, Dora L. Hughes, The Commonwealth Fund, March 2002