Perceived discrimination, communication, and healthcare utilization after gastrointestinal surgery: a moderated mediation analysis

Key Points

• Healthcare utilization is significantly affected by perceived discrimination in patients post-gastrointestinal surgery, indicating a critical issue.
• The analysis reveals strong mediation effects of communication on the relationship between perceived discrimination and healthcare utilization.
• Moderated mediation analysis was conducted, highlighting important interactions between discrimination perception, communication, and utilization patterns.
• Understanding these dynamics may help develop strategies to improve communication and healthcare access for impacted individuals.