Rural patients’ barriers to care access: 7 notes

Becker's Healthcare August 9, 2024
Mariah Taylor

Researchers from the Huntsman Cancer Institute and the University of Utah, both based in Salt Lake City, found that 34% of rural patients said they have easy access to medical specialists.

The Community Health Assessment Survey is the first to focus on patients in rural and frontier areas, according to an Aug. 8 news release from the organizations. Rural counties have fewer than 100 people per square mile while frontier areas have seven people or fewer per square mile. More than 1,700 rural residents across five states participated in the survey.

Here are seven findings:

1. About 48% of rural residents said they had seen a physician in the past year, compared to the U.S. average of 85%.
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