: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) affects a significant proportion (28.5%) of the U.S population, resulting in high rates of mortality and significant heath care costs. Certain related conditions, such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol, and behaviors, such as inactivity and diet, may exacerbate the onset or effects of CVD. Preventive care can reduce these risk factors; research has found that early detection, treatment and control of CVD risk factors significantly reduce mortality and morbidity. However, a number of significant health disparities exist in the area of preventive care, including disparities in counseling and in orders for diagnostic tests. I intend to investigate provider contributions to preventive care disparities for cardiovascular disease, using physician race and gender as independent variables. A hypothesized mechanism (presented by Van Ryn, 2002) through which provider factors could influence race/ethnicity disparities in treatments received will be used to further explain the phenomenon. Several mediating variables (patient-provider interactions and communication) will be used to explain relationships between physician race and gender and the outcome variables.
