Benefits of Mobile Healthcare for Rural Communities

Mobile healthcare programs can particularly benefit rural communities that have limited access to other types of healthcare services. Mobile integrated healthcare (MIH) and community paramedicine programs have been shown to reduce unnecessary 911 calls, emergency department visits, and hospital readmissions by expanding access to basic and preventive care and helping people better manage their healthcare needs. These programs are designed to supplement existing primary care, the public health infrastructure, and fill existing service delivery gaps.

Mobile healthcare programs can provide many benefits to rural communities. A few are outlined below:

Reducing the burden on rural healthcare systems: There continues to be a need to address healthcare provider shortages in rural areas. By treating patients in their homes or other locations outside of a traditional clinical setting, mobile healthcare programs can reduce the number of patients in hospital beds, nursing homes, or emergency rooms.

Reducing unnecessary medical transports: In some situations, mobile healthcare programs can provide the appropriate level of care to individuals who call for help with non-emergent issues. For example, a community paramedic could assess and treat a patient who had a minor fall in their home and determine whether additional care and transportation to the hospital are needed.

Lowering costs: Mobile health clinics and healthcare on wheels play an important role in providing value-based care by distributing a wide range of services to rural communities, often at a lower cost than designing and staffing a traditional healthcare clinical site. In addition, reducing the use of emergency resources, like emergency departments and ambulance transport services, can lower overall costs to the healthcare system, and to the individual.

Decreasing the need for personal transportation: Some populations, such as people with complex health conditions, mobility issues, or people living in frontier communities, may have increased challenges to accessing safe, affordable, and appropriate transportation to and from healthcare and social services providers. Even when rural community members have access to transportation, long travel distances can affect how they make decisions about using healthcare services. Because mobile health programs can travel to meet people where they are, they help to address some of these challenges.

Increasing access to primary care, specialty providers, and chronic disease management: Rural Americans have a higher incidence of mortality due to chronic disease than their urban counterparts. With mobile clinics and programs that provide home visits, mobile healthcare workers can provide traditional primary care services to patients regardless of location. These can include routine vaccinations, wound care, and checkups for patients with high blood pressure, diabetes, or other chronic conditions. People living with multiple chronic conditions or other serious health issues may receive multiple prescriptions. These medications can be difficult to manage, but to achieve the best health outcomes, they must be taken as prescribed. Mobile healthcare programs can team up with local pharmacists to conduct home visits to review medication lists or monitor conditions like hypertension.

Improving overall quality of life and well-being: Mobile healthcare workers can conduct home safety assessments and recommend home modifications that may improve patient quality of life and potentially allow them to stay independent in their own home for longer. Remote patient monitoring of chronic conditions can allow people to return to their daily activities and communities without having to make repeated visits to healthcare offices. These services are often integrated through a community paramedicine or MIH program.

Resources to Learn More

Analysis of Annual Costs of Mobile Clinics in the Southern United States
Document
This study looked at cost analysis data from healthcare providers in Texas and the American Southeast over the course of eight months. Results show that mobile health programs are a cost-effective option for the provision of care.
Author(s): Attipoe-Dorcoo, S., Delgado, R., Lai, D., et al.
Citation: Journal of Primary Care & Community Health. Volume 11: 1–6.
Date: 11/2020