Print

Roodenburg, Jane Ruth

Nursing

2010

MS

The purpose of this study was to examine barriers to health care access in Vermont, particularly those related to transportation difficulties. I wished to study the relationship between transportation and health care access in a convenience sample of rural Vermont residents. Subjects were recruited at a free health screening booth at Vermont's Addison County Fair and Field Days, August 2008. Eligibility criteria included adults over age 18, willingness to participate, and the ability to speak and read English. 146 subjects completed an anonymous survey that asked about factors that prevent people from accessing primary care as well as basic demographic data. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, including proportions, means, medians, and ranges where appropriate. The results indicated that difficulties with transportation did not cause a significant percentage of the respondents to miss health care appointments. Still, many respondents indicated that transportation problems such as distance, high gas prices, and bad road conditions made it more difficult to get to care. The results indicate that Vermonters get to their appointments, and prioritize health care, even when transportation costs are high.