Author contributions. RK, LG and PR conceived the article. LG wrote the introduction and development sections. RK, PR and TC composed the section on GSH.LG, HG and JS were responsible for the partnership section.RK, LG, PR and CC wrote on identifying patients. LG and RK compiled the community resources section. All co-authors reviewed the article, added comments and made editorial changes, which were included by LG.Funding. None. Conflicts of interest.None.

BackgroundWith an increased emphasis on patient‐centred outcomes and research, investigators seek to understand aspects of health care that are most important to patients. Such information is essential for developing report cards that present health‐care quality information for consumers, which many states are adopting as a strategy to promote consumer choice.ObjectiveThis study examined the processes that women in Medicaid follow for selecting health plans and explored their definitions of ‘good’ and ‘poor’ quality health care.DesignWe conducted focus groups with Medicaid beneficiaries in four Texas communities, using quota sampling to ensure representation of different racial/ethnic, eligibility and geographic groups.ResultsWe conducted 22 focus groups with 102 participants between October 2012 and January 2013. In a free‐list exercise, ‘doctors’ represented the most important aspect of health care to participants, followed by cost, attention, coverage and respect. Discussions of health‐care quality revealed an even mix of structural factors (e.g. timeliness) and interpersonal factors (e.g. communication), although few differences were observed by beneficiary characteristics. Participants linked themes in their overall framing of ‘quality’ – revealing processes of care that affect health outcomes (e.g. discontinuity of care resulting from poor communication with providers) and which were often mediated by advocate providers who assisted patients experiencing barriers to services.Discussion and conclusionsFindings support other studies that highlight the importance of the patient–provider relationship. Patient‐centred definitions of health‐care quality can complement predominant provider‐centred conceptual frameworks and better inform initiatives for public reporting of quality measures in these populations.

To improve early identification and linkage to treatment and preventive services for hepatitis B virus (HBV) in persons born in countries with intermediate or high (>2%) HBV prevalence, the University of Florida Center for HIV/AIDS Research, Education, and Services (UF CARES) employed community-engaged strategies to implement the Hepatitis B Awareness and Service Linkage (HBASL) program. In this brief report, we present a summary of program components, challenges, and successes. Faith and community-based networks were established to improve HBV testing and screening and to increase foreign born nationals (FBNs) access to HBV care. A total of 1516 FBNs were tested and screened for hepatitis B. The majority were females (50.4%), Asians (62.8%), non-Hispanic (87.2%), and they also received post-test counseling (54.8%). Noted program advantages included the development of community networks and outreach to a large population of FBNs. The major challenges were institutional delays, pressures related to meeting program deliverables, and diversity within FBNs populations. Community health workers in the United States can replicate this program in their respective communities and ensure success by maintaining a strong community presence, establishing partnerships and linkage processes, developing a sustainability plan, and ensuring the presence of dedicated program staff.