The Evaluation of the Relationship between Racial Health Disparities and the Patient-Provider Relationship

African Americans are adversely affected by health disparities due to the complexities of the patient-provider relationship. The behavioral model of health services was used as the theoretical framework to understand how individuals make healthcare utilization decisions. The purpose of the research was to evaluate how the patient-provider relationship influences inconsistent doctor visits by African American patients despite the prevalence of chronic conditions. 45 African Americans located in Shelby County, Tennessee were included in this study. A cross-sectional quantitative design was used to collect the data via an online survey. The 45 collected responses were analyzed by performing multiple linear regression, Pearson correlation, and Cronbach\u27s ï?¡. Results of the analyses were statistically significant in proving that education level, income, gender of African Americans, and having health insurance affect the patient-provider relationship. It was determined by the statistically significant results that the patient-provider relationship had an effect on African American patients\u27 decision to seek healthcare services and medication compliance and follow-up medical care. This information may guide the conversation within the Shelby County, Tennessee African American community regarding what role the patient-provider relationship has when addressing health disparities among African Americans