Date of Conferral

2023

Degree

Doctor of Healthcare Administration (D.H.A.)

School

Health Services

Advisor

Rabeh Hijazi

Abstract

Diabetes imposes a major burden on society, especially in the state of Florida, in the form of increased medical costs, lost productivity, early mortality, and intangible costs in the form of diminished quality of life. Access to diabetic care affects health administration in Florida by impacting the overall cost of treating the condition. Limited access to care can lead to an increased risk of complications resulting in a higher cost of treatment. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine whether access to care dependent variables (access to doctors and length of time since last routine checkup) were associated with Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) independent variables (race, education level, economic stability, and location) among patients with diabetes in Florida. Using the social–ecological model as the framework, the study examined the extent to which SDOHs were associated with delayed access to doctors and length of time since last routine checkup among Floridians. The participants (n=2014) consisted of adult men and women ages 18 and older residing in the state of Florida who have been diagnosed and treated for diabetes using the 2019 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey. A logistic regression analysis revealed collectively that the SDOH race, education level, economic stability, and location were not significantly associated with length of time since last routine checkup. Significant associations were found between SDOH and access to doctors. This research has positive social change implications for key stakeholders (i.e., policy makers and healthcare administrators) concerned about access to diabetes care. Findings could have implications for positive social change and could be used to better understand the needs of Floridians’ with little or no access to care.

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