270623 Assessing the interaction between health and transportation among seniors

Tuesday, October 30, 2012 : 12:30 PM - 12:42 PM

Thomas Prohaska, PhD , School of Public Health, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL
     
SESSION ABSTRACT (Symposium) Assessing the interaction between health and transportation among seniors A critical component to maintaining the health and well being of older adults in the community is their ability to access health care. Lack of access to nonemergency medical transportation is a critical barrier to the management of chronic illness and disabilities. Approximately 3.6 million American adults living in the community fail to obtain health care due to a lack of transportation and these individuals are more likely to be older adults who find it difficult to perform activities involved in transporting themselves to medical appointments. Transportation is critical for access to health care. This symposium examines the role of non-emergency medical transportation access on health and health care use of community residing older adults. The introduction will include a brief presentation on non-emergency medical transportation NEMT services followed by five presentations. 1. Age patterns in need versus use of NEMT services 2. Critical issues in use of NEMT by older adults in rural settings 3. Missed or delayed medical care appointments by older users of NEMT services 4. Cost and cost effectiveness of brokered transportation for non-emergency medical care transportation 5. Educating physicians and health care professionals on older driver retirement

Learning Areas:
Public health or related organizational policy, standards, or other guidelines
Public health or related public policy

Learning Objectives:
1. Explaine the role of non-emergency medical transportation NEMT on health of older adults 2. Compare patterns of NEMT use among older and younger adults 3. Explain the factors associated with costs for transportation services and missed appointments

Keywords: Access and Services, Aging

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am the PI on the research being presented and co-director of research center conducting the research. I directed all research activities and findings generated in the research being presented. Also, am a professor of public health in a school of public health.
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.

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