Rural communities across the country recognize the ways that social determinants of health (SDOH) shape the ability of rural residents to live healthy lives and access necessary care. Access to quality, affordable healthcare services is an important SDOH that is critical to improving health outcomes and reducing health disparities. Barriers to healthcare access in rural communities can include factors such as a lack of access to reliable transportation, shortage of primary and specialty care providers, and a lack of health insurance coverage. Increasingly, healthcare settings are finding ways to address SDOH.
This toolkit describes 4 models and approaches for improving health outcomes and increasing healthcare access to address SDOH:
- Interdisciplinary Care Teams, Patient Navigators, and Community Health Workers
- Medical-Legal Partnerships
- School-Based Health Centers
- Approaches to Improve Remote Access to Healthcare
While increasing access to healthcare services and improving the healthcare system in rural areas is a critical step towards addressing SDOH, research shows that other factors should be considered. Many health outcomes are related to individual social and economic experiences, rather than healthcare access. Therefore, in some instances healthcare approaches to address SDOH should be coupled with other approaches described in the following sections:
- Improving Economic Stability
- Improving Education
- Improving the Social and Community Context
- Improving Neighborhoods and the Built Environment
19 years
People born in high
human development (HD) countries have 19 yrs higher life expectancy than people in low HD countries
100%
Low educated subgroups report 100% more often "poor health" than tertiary educated
50%
Under-5 child
mortality reduction is attributed to 50% of investments outside the health sector
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7%
Cash transfers to
low income households decrease infant undernourishment by 7%
10%
Cash transfers
increase rural school attendance by 10% in low income households
Double
COVID-19
incidence & mortality rates in deprived areas are double rates of the least deprived areas
We Can Change Healthcare for the Better. Let’s Discuss Healthcare Access & Quality.
Health Access & Quality is defined as the extent to which people have equitable, affordable and available access to needed healthcare services. This definition includes both physical accessibility and availability via financial means, transportation options, and other factors. It also includes the quality of care received after seeking care.
Unfortunately, there are many people within the United States who do not receive the care they need.² There are a number of reasons as to why lapses in necessary healthcare can happen. One reason can be due to a lack of health insurance coverage. Individuals without insurance coverage are less likely to receive care from a primary healthcare provider.³ In addition, a lack of insurance also may decrease the likelihood to afford healthcare or medication.
Another factor that may present a barrier to treatment is physical access. If individuals have no means of travel (either by the lack of a personal vehicle or public transportation), the ability to physically receive medical care in a facility is nonexistent.
While having physical access to care is vital, the quality of care provided also greatly determines the overall health of the patient. In addition to newer medications and therapeutics, preventative care is a vital treatment modality. With proper screening and other preventative practices, medical professionals can better treat the progression of illnesses before the severity increases.
In summary, Simply Connect’s Platform and Network is tackling some of the major barriers stunting Healthcare Access & Quality, such as transportation and efficiency modeling. To learn more about our transportation and our health efficiency exchange, contact us today.