The Poor: Their Medical Needs and the Health Services Available to Them

In spite of higher disease and mortality rates, the poor and minority group sectors of the American population make fewer visits to physicians and are less likely to receive personal health counseling or preventive services than those at higher income levels. Hospital admissions are as high for the poor, however, and tend to be for longer lengths of stay. Pri vate physicians are the most common source of medical care at all income levels, but the poor and persons from minority groups make greater use of hospital clinics and emergency ser vices. Low-income patients are unlikely to receive comprehen sive care from private physicians, and few public clinics are designed to provide such care. Public clinics are also usually inconvenient to reach and unpleasant to utilize. The poor are also less aware of the concepts and practices of scientific medicine, and differences in many beliefs and values make com munication between patient and practitioner difficult. In order to bring the poor into the mainstream of American medicine, adequate public support for their health services, combined with inducements to provide comprehensive care, are required. A flexible system which permits continuing contact between patients and practitioners is also important for improving both the use of health services and the health practices of the poor.