5031.0: Wednesday, November 15, 2000 - Board 9

Abstract #7342

Senior health care: Rural health delivery lessions

James F Reed III, PhD, Department of Community Health & Health Studies, Lehigh Valley Hospital, P.O. Box 7017, 17th & Chew Streets, Allentown, PA 18105-7017, 610-402-2530, James.Reed@lvh.com

While urban health delivery systems have received considerable attention, little consideration has been given to the impact of urban based health systems on rural health care delivery. Rural and urban providers historically have been linked through a web of both formal relationships. The impact of the providers and adequacy of the delivery of health care is explored in vivo via the perceptions and adaptations of senior health care users in a rural Nebraska community. Design: Qualitative, grounded theory analysis of taped semi-structured interviews. Setting: Rural city in South-Central Nebraska. Outcome Measure: Themes and categories describing senior health care users and their interactions with the rural health care integrated delivery network. Conclusions: In spite of the rural isolation, senior health care users and providers have developed an organized vertically integrated health care delivery system that partners with urban medical systems for cardiac, urology, vascular, cancer, women's health services, prevention and mental health services.

Learning Objectives: After this session, participants will be able to identify key factors associated with the delivery of needed health care for rural seniors

Keywords: Health Care Delivery, Rural Health Care

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.

The 128th Annual Meeting of APHA