Socioeconomic Status and Use of Physician Services: A Reconsideration

National trends in relationships between indicators of socioeconomic status and the use of outpatient physician services are described, and evidence for various explanations is examined. Studies show that relationships between income and use have diminished considerably over the post four decades. Race and education remain consistently related to use. There is little evidence that social-psychological variables account for differences in use among socioeconomic groups. Research shows that use among low-income persons is sensitive to the price of services.