26. Rural Rehabilitation and Access to Health Care

Challenges in rural health care include lack of physical access to facilities, lack of special equipment, and lack of healthcare provider knowledge in working with individuals with complex health needs. Because of these factors, many individuals travel long distances for their healthcare, or wait until problems that may have been easily treated worsen and they seek treatment in local Emergency Departments. These and other healthcare disparities not only influence a person’s quality of life, but also lead to an increased healthcare cost. This lecture will provide an overview of these healthcare disparities, with a particular focus on rural healthcare, and will include discussion of potential solutions, including results of rural healthcare accessibility surveys in Kentucky.

Christina Espinosa, Jason Jones, Kathy Sheppard-Jones