Use of hospital-based ambulatory care in New York City's Health Manpower Shortage Areas.

The development of a comprehensive data base for hospital-based ambulatory care has made possible the accurate determination of each community's use of hospitals in New York City and permits a reliable estimation of all ambulatory care received by residents of Health Manpower Shortage Areas (HMSAs). In spite of the city's abundant supply of private practitioners and widespread Medicaid coverage, residents of HMSAs in New York City are heavily dependent on hospital-based ambulatory care. Contrary to commonly held notions, however, HMSA residents do not appear to overuse hospital-based ambulatory care. Rather, that use appears to be quite modest, given their poorer health status.