196594 Suburban Satellite Health Care Facilities Limit Access for Low-Income Patients

Monday, November 9, 2009: 10:30 AM

Angus Beal , university of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington, VT
Hannah Caulfield , university of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington, VT
Ellizabeth Cipolla , university of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington, VT
Theodore Elaesser , university of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington, VT
Andrew Gagnon , university of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington, VT
Megan Gossling , university of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington, VT
Yangseon Park , university of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington, VT
Annika Hawkins , Community Health Center of Burlington, Burlington, VT
Jill Jemison , University of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington, VT
Jan K. Carney, MD MPH , Department of Medicine, University of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington, VT
  
Introduction. Low income individuals are faced with numerous barriers to health care that can lead to worse health outcomes. Limited access to transportation, in particular, has been linked to lower rates of doctor's visits and consequently, a greater burden of disease.

Objective. With partner community agencies, assess how low income individuals in Burlington, Vermont have been impacted by the move of certain health care services (cardiology and orthopedics) from a downtown location to a peripheral suburban location (Tilley Drive).

Methods Research was compiled using four different analytical tools: (1) a survey of low income patients, (2) a survey of referring health care providers, (3) a retrospective data analysis of transportation costs for patients to Tilley Drive, and (4) a qualitative survey of office administrators at Tilley Drive.

Results. One hundred percent of the surveyed referring physicians reported that Tilley Drive was not “very accessible” and 95% reported that the move had a “moderate” to “large impact” on their patient's health. Patients that were surveyed frequently missed appointments due to transportation difficulties. Furthermore, both partner community agencies indicated that they cannot afford to continue taxi vouchers to Tilley Drive as a long term solution.

Conclusion. Low income individuals in Burlington, Vermont have been adversely affected by the move of health services to a suburban satellite setting. Stop gap solutions used by social service organizations that strive to maintain access are not sustainable. In order to ensure adequate health care to the low income community, new solutions must be sought.

Learning Objectives:
1. Describe the barriers to health care faced by low-income individuals 2. Discuss practical methods used to assess the impact of transportation on access to care 3. Formulate generalizable policy solutions to this problem in other communities

Keywords: Access to Health Care, Policy/Policy Development

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: Involed in all aspects of project: design, implementation, data collection and/or analysis, interpretation, creating poster. Have presented at poster session at the UVM College of Medicine.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

See more of: Access to Healthcare and Existing Barriers
See more of: Community Health Planning and Policy Development