Urban/rural differences in access and barriers to health care for people with multiple sclerosis.
BACKGROUND
People living in rural areas face barriers when seeking health care, often experiencing difficulties accessing health providers or facilities. Little is known about barriers to the use of health care confronting people with multiple sclerosis (MS) in rural areas.


OBJECTIVE
To identify any rural/urban differences in access and barriers to health services, including MS-focused care, among people with MS.


METHODS
The data were collected in a survey of 1,518 people with MS living in all 50 States. The study included three geographic subgroups: urban areas; adjacent rural areas; and more remote rural areas.


RESULTS
We found significant rural/urban differences in access and barriers to care among people with MS, especially for MS-focused care. Significantly smaller proportions of people with MS from adjacent and more remote rural areas reported no difficulty getting MS-related care than their urban counterparts.


CONCLUSIONS
Greater difficulty accessing MS-related care experienced by people with MS in rural areas has negative implications for the quality of the MS care they receive.
Buchanan
Robert J
RJ
Mississippi State University, USA.
Stuifbergen
Alexa
A
Chakravorty
Bonnie J
BJ
Wang
Suojin
S
Zhu
Li
L
Kim
Myungsuk
M
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005843:Geography; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008507:Medically Underserved Area; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D019035:Rural Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States; D019037:Urban Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000600:supply & distribution*