This is one variable in the disparity of access to healthcare. People who live in rural areas face many more factors in living healthy lives due to the unavailability of services and goods. They face many barriers such as economic factors, cultural and social differences, educational shortcomings, and the isolation of living in a remote area.
This affects the population health because people in rural areas are more likely to turn down healthcare due to its high costs. Not only is it just the cost of the healthcare itself but it is the travel costs and time as well. Sometimes patients only have specialized care instead of primary care and other times they don't even go in for the care they need due to these obstacles that they face.
How can design break down some of these barriers?
In an article I read a while back, transportation was a way that they were able to make healthcare accessible to their patients in rural areas. Not only were they bringing medicine and primary care in large medical truck but they were also supplying them with rides to and from. This is one great way of breaking down that obstacle.
Though we are not designing in a rural area, some of these factors due still affect our project. As some of the patients in Lawndale may turn down healthcare due to its costs and even due to travel time or accessibility for them, it may not be an hour away but even a 30 min walk for them in a dangerous area stops them form getting access to healthcare, how may we change that?
Sources: RHIhub
Image: Rural Health
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