Question

Explain two factors that relate to urban versus rural variations in morbidity and mortality in the United States. What are three interventions that could be introduced in order to improve the health of rural residents?

Answer 1

It is evidence that urban and rural areas present different socio-demographic characteristics and health profiles. It is not however possible to conclude that cities are inherently detrimental to health as their higher morbidity and mortality levels could be due to higher levels of deprivation which cannot be adequately adjusted for in the current datasets.

Rural residents often experience barriers to healthcare that limit their ability to obtain the care they need. In order for rural residents to have sufficient healthcare access, necessary and appropriate services must be available and obtainable in a timely manner. Even when an adequate supply of healthcare services exists in the community, there are other factors to consider in terms of healthcare access. For instance, to have good healthcare access, a rural resident must also have:

• Financial means to pay for services, such as health insurance coverage that is accepted by the provider.
• Means to reach and use services, such as transportation to services which may be located at a distance, and the ability to take paid time off of work to use such services.
• Confidence in their ability to communicate with healthcare providers, particularly if the patient is not fluent in English or has poor health literacy.
• Confidence in their ability to use services without compromising privacy.
• Confidence in the quality of the care that they will receive.