MAPPing the community: Assessing access to nontraditional healthcare

Objectives: To determine the specific barriers among low-income New River Valley (NRV), Virginia residents in accessing nontraditional care (e.g., dental, vision, mental health) and insurance coverage utilizing the Mobilizing for Action through Planning and Partnerships (MAPP) framework.

Methods: MAPP provides communities with a framework to collect and analyze health data, as well as identify and prioritize community health issues and findings to develop and implement action plans that address defined needs. A total of 2,500 forced-choice surveys were randomly mailed to NRV residents utilizing a consumer database (28% return rate).

Results: Among the sample (70.5% female; 29.5% male), 92% were Caucasian, with 8% African American, Native American, Asian American, or Latina identity. Regarding the low-income portion of the sample (55%), 23% lacked health insurance. A total of 28% had not seen an eye doctor in the past three years, while 14% could not afford prescription eyewear. Additionally, 21% of the sample had not visited a dentist in the past three years. Furthermore, 17% reported not obtaining necessary mental health services. Finally, 35% reported obtaining most of the care that they needed, but nearly 20% reported not being able to pay for necessary care at any given time.

Conclusions: Regardless of one's ethnic identity, low-income residents without healthcare coverage or barriers to financing and/or obtaining dental, visual, or mental health services remain primary issues of concern. Efforts and legislative policies must be implemented to achieve equity across economic strata to promote better health and access to care among all community residents.