NEW YORK, Jan. 15 (UPI) -- Neighborhood clinics set up in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina are doing a good job providing healthcare for the city's poor, a study released Friday found.
Only 27 percent of the patients at the clinics reported having to go without healthcare because of cost, compared to 41 percent of U.S. adults, the Commonwealth Fund said. Nearly half, 49 percent, said they would be able to get the care they needed if they became seriously ill compared to 30 percent of U.S. adults, even though they were less likely to have health insurance.
Clinic patients were also more satisfied with their care, reporting good communication with doctors and few problems with medical records.
Coming Out of Crisis: Patient Experiences In Primary Care In New Orleans, Four Years Post Katrina, is based on 1,231 interviews with adults between the ages of 18 and 64 conducted February and April last year.
"The healthcare safety net in New Orleans was devastated by Hurricane Katrina, but that also presented an opportunity to build something new from the ground up," said Commonwealth Fund President Karen Davis. "It's exciting to see the impact that a real focus on primary care can have on the health of this vulnerable population. I hope that the lessons learned in New Orleans will be considered as we seek ways to provide high quality, affordable healthcare for more Americans."
