How often Hispanics in the United States see a doctor, where they go to seek health information and other stuff related to their health care were the subjects of a new report released on Wednesday by the Pew Hispanic Center and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

"Hispanics and Healthcare in the United States: Access, Information and Knowledge," as the 81-page report was called, surveyed 4,013 Hispanic adults, half of whom spoke English while the other half spoke Spanish. About 45 million Hispanics live in the United States and the number is expected to grow to 128 million by 2050. The survey’s main goal was to understand how best to provide health care for the nation’s fastest-growing population.

The report surprisingly found that about 27 percent of Hispanics don’t see a doctor regularly despite having medical insurance. Of those who lack a regular provider: 30 percent are US-born; 50 percent are at least high school graduates; 52 percent speak English or are bilingual and 40 percent have health insurance.

“The profile of this group was somewhat surprising. This suggests that not only financial reasons are keeping Latinos from doctors,” Gretchen Livingston senior researcher for the Pew Hispanic Center said.

When asked about why they do not seek medical help, 41 percent of the respondents said they are seldom sick. However, the finding worried the report’s authors, because they come at a time when chronic illnesses such as diabetes and obesity are overwhelming the community.

What is more shocking is that native-born, English-speaking Hispanics usually turn to Internet or newspapers for health information, while foreign-born Spanish speakers turn to Spanish-language television and radio. They represented more than 80 percent of those involved in the survey. Sixty-four percent of them said the health information they got from the media prompted them to change their diet or exercise routines.

“When it comes to Latinos, what may appear to be the well-known effects of socioeconomic inequality on health care may also be conditioned by unique social, cultural and economic circumstances confronting both Hispanic immigrants and Hispanics born in the United States. Socioeconomic factors, such as education, immigration and language weigh heavily in creating these disparities,” the report read.

Other findings of the study were: 43 percent of Hispanics with a usual place for health care used community health centers and clinics; 49 percent relied on a doctor's office for care; only 4 percent of Hispanics considered hospitals as a usual place for care (emergency rooms were excluded); 61 percent of adults with a usual place for health care scored high on a knowledge index for diabetes compared with 50 percent who lacked a usual place for health care.

The report’s authors believe that recruiting more Hispanic doctors could be one possible answer to the problem. While Hispanics account for 15 percent of the US population, only 5 percent of the nation’s doctors are Hispanics. Having a health care provider that looks like the community will encourage Hispanic families to seek regular care, the report says.