Select Key Metrics on Primary & Preventive Care Access

Access ACCESS TO PRIMARY CARE

Percentage of primary care appointments available for patients at any given time; average number of days patients wait to receive primary care services; insurance coverage.

 Preventative care PREVENTIVE CARE UTILIZATION

Ordering and completion rates of preventive care services such as annual check-ups, immunizations, flu shots, and screenings.

Background

The supply of primary care physicians relative to number of residents varies drastically across Philadelphia neighborhoods.

PCP Supply Philadelphia

Source: Close to Home: The Health of Philadelphia's Neighborhoods, Drexel Urban Health Collaborative | 2019

 

 

Primary Care Access

Source: Access To Primary Care In Philadelphia, Philadelphia Department of Public Health | Data Source: Race/Ethnicity– American Community Survey, U.S. Census Bureau

Areas with lower access to primary care have higher concentrations of non-Hispanic Black residents and a lower median household income compared to areas with higher access to primary care. 

Lower income Philadelphians are also more likely to be covered by Medicaid. Across Philadelphia, there are disparities in primary care appointment availability by insurance status:

Primary care appointment availability

 

Hispanic and non-Hispanic Black Philadelphians are approximately 2 to 2.5 times more likely than white Philadelphians to be hospitalized for conditions that could have been prevented in primary care.

SYSTEMIC DRIVERS OF DISPARITIES

Housing and labor market discrimination have contributed to socioeconomic disadvantage in non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic communities, limiting access to private health insurance plans that provide patients with increased appointment availability and shorter wait times. 

Residential segregation has resulted in racially concentrated poverty in Philadelphia, which deprives neighborhoods of access to health care providers due to a higher proportion of residents who are uninsured or underinsured.

Ongoing Efforts in the Philadelphia Community 

The Penn Center for Community Health Workers developed IMPaCT, a standardized, scalable program that leverages community health workers – trusted laypeople from local communities – to improve access to health care in underserved communities and to improve health outcomes. IMPaCT has been delivered to over 10,000 high-risk patients in the Philadelphia region and has been shown to improve chronic disease control, mental health and quality of care while reducing total hospital days by 65%.

The Hansjörg Wyss Wellness Center is a one-stop shop for primary and preventive care, outreach, and educational services to the surrounding community, particularly the area’s immigrant and refugee population. The Center is an initiative of Jefferson’s Philadelphia Collaborative for Health Equity and a partnership between Jefferson’s Department of Family and Community Medicine and SEAMAAC, a community-based organization that supports under-resourced communities.

Efforts listed here may be independent of Accelerate Health Equity. Check back to learn about a broader list of health equity efforts.