Rural Healthcare: Bridging the Gap
Access to healthcare in rural communities remains a challenge to governments and medical institutions worldwide. Compared to urban areas, rural populations rarely have access to readily available specialized medical services. Barriers such as long-distance travel, workforce shortages, and socioeconomic factors contribute to the disparity between urban and rural areas. Unfortunately, this leads to increased healthcare costs, high rates of preventable disease, and sub-par health outcomes for rural patients. In this article, we will dive deeper into these barriers and explore innovative solutions to help bridge the gap for rural residents and provide them with the care they need.
Rural residents face many challenges in receiving access to healthcare. One of the biggest challenges that residents face is transportation and long-distance travel. These residents often drive long distances, even hours, just to get to the nearest clinic or hospital. Furthermore, it is time-consuming and costly to have to make these trips, which may even discourage individuals from seeking out treatment to begin with. Being geographically isolated also means that emergency services like ambulances are sometimes delayed in arriving at a resident’s location, increasing the risk of further complications. Apart from commute time, there is generally a lack of dependable transportation. Urban areas have access to public transportation systems that rural areas do not.
The next pressing issue with rural healthcare is the shortage of workers, particularly specialists. Frequently, general practitioners in rural areas do not have the support of specialized professionals such as cardiologists, neurologists, psychiatrists, or surgeons. Additionally, in the United States, around 20 percent of its residents live in rural areas, but less than 10 percent of its physicians practice in these areas (Nielsen et al., 2019). This means that even if a rural resident has the means to travel to the nearest hospital or clinic, these places might not even have the sufficient services that he or she may need.
Finally, socioeconomic factors play a role in the overall access to healthcare for residents of rural areas. Generally, residents of rural areas are more likely to be uninsured. According to the United States Census Bureau, “About 12.3 percent of people in completely rural counties lacked health insurance” (Cheeseman Day, 2019). Residents with lower incomes and lacking insurance will find it much more difficult to afford the necessary treatments offered.
The first solution to improve healthcare access is the implementation of telehealth in rural communities. Telehealth, also called telemedicine, is “defined as the use of electronic information and telecommunication technologies to support long-distance clinical health care, patient and professional health-related education, health administration, and public health” (Health Resources & Services Administration, 2022). Telehealth allows patients to consult with doctors remotely through video calls on their phones or computers. Although it is not a solution to urgent care, telehealth can serve to provide solutions for mental health issues through therapy, help to host follow-ups after operations, and also allow professionals to monitor their patients' lasting conditions like diabetes or hypertension. With online consultation, patients do not need to waste their time and money by traveling long distances to seek out appointments. Through telehealth, patients have greater access to specialists (Tulane University, 2023). In conclusion, patients can leverage telehealth to have greater and more timely access to specialized medical expertise, which can lead to earlier interventions and improved outcomes for the overall health of the people of rural communities.
Another solution to rural healthcare is the deployment of mobile health clinics, which bring medical services directly to rural communities. Mobile health clinics, normally in the form of vans or buses, are transportable clinics capable of hosting a variety of services such as preventive screening, vaccinations, maternal care, and disease management. According to the Children’s Hospital Association, “Some estimates say more than 20 million children in the United States lack sufficient access to essential health care” (Mobile Health Clinics Close Gaps in Care, 2023). Working to combat this, these mobile clinics are especially effective in assisting underserved rural areas. Mobile units can bridge the gap for residents who cannot travel, ensuring that healthcare can reach these rural residents where they live. Not only do mobile health clinics help the populations that cannot travel to seek care, but they also cultivate relationships with these communities. The Children’s Hospital Association writes that “Patients and families may avoid medical visits due to poor health care experiences or a perceived lack of compassion” (Mobile Health Clinics Close Gaps in Care, 2023). However, these mobile health clinics provide a personalized and local environment for rural populations that might be skeptical or untrusting of big healthcare and hospitals. These mobile clinics build relationships with rural residents that promote understanding of healthcare, eliminate confusion and fear of the system, and increase the likelihood of these residents seeking out medical care.
Although progress is being made, there is still much work that needs to be done to ensure that rural communities receive adequate healthcare access like their urban counterparts. But, through innovative solutions like telehealth and mobile clinics, rural communities have begun to overcome lasting barriers and improve overall health for the millions of rural residents in the United States. In conclusion, we must continue to work constantly to provide healthcare for everyone regardless of where they live.
Refrences
Nielsen, M., D’Agostino, D., & Gregory, P. (2019). Addressing Rural Health Challenges Head On. Missouri Medicine, 114(5), 363. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6140198/
Tulane University. (2023). How to Improve Health Care in Rural Areas. Publichealth.tulane.edu.
https://publichealth.tulane.edu/blog/how-to-improve-health-care-in-rural-areas/
Rural Health Information Hub. (2024, December 19). Healthcare Access in Rural Communities.
Rural Health Information Hub. https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/topics/healthcare-access
Mobile Health Clinics Close Gaps in Care. (2023, January 30). Www.childrenshospitals.org.
Cheeseman Day, J. (2019, April 9). Rates of Uninsured Fall in Rural Counties, Remain Higher
Than Urban Counties. The United States Census Bureau.
https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2019/04/health-insurance-rural-america.html
Health Resources & Services Administration. (2022, March). What is telehealth? Www.hrsa.gov.
https://www.hrsa.gov/telehealth/what-is-telehealth
https://unsplash.com/photos/man-wearing-white-dress-shirt-vt7iAyiwpf0