Research using geographic information systems (GIS) has begun to confirm what appears intuitively obvious: rural populations travel further for medical or dental facilities than urban populations, and, in many cases, greater travel time is associated with reduced access to care. This project will use the National Household Transportation Survey, conducted by the US Department of Transportation, to explore patterns of travel for care by rural residents, calculate distances traveled by rural white and minority residents, and explore whether rural residents perceive road conditions (congestion, poor surface) to be more of a barrier than do urban residents.

Publications

• Mode of Travel and Actual Distance Traveled For Medical or Dental Care By Rural and Urban Residents
  Rural and Minority Health Research Center
  Date: 05/2006
  This report discusses the cost and difficulty associated with travel for medical or dental care, which may serve as a barrier for rural populations.
• Mode of Travel and Actual Distance Traveled For Medical or Dental Care By Rural and Urban Residents (Fact Sheet)
  Fact Sheet
  Rural and Minority Health Research Center
  Date: 2007
  This fact sheet addresses the cost and difficulty associated with travel for medical or dental care.