Health Care in Rural Areas, Essay Example

The people living in rural areas are faced with inimitable blend of factors that result to disparities with regard health care services which are unavailable in the urban regions (Deborah & Frank, 2013). These factors include disparities in education, social status, cultural factors and economic issues. Rural people are also impeded from access to health services by the defiance of legislators as well as sheer isolation. Health facilities inrural areas therefore experience difficulties in accessing the necessary patients to support practices such as  EMR and newer equipment. Stock medications such as Tylenol, motrin, Albuterol, decadron, epi pens, penicillin, immunizations, and in-house Ptt/INR, A1C, glucose, Hgb, Hcg, UA, type testing strips and making enough money for the staff to survive are not sustainable in these areas (Deborah & Frank, 2011).

People in rural areas have adopted healthy living habits such as eating more home cooked meals, being more active, watching less TV, eating less preservatives and fast food. Providing health care services to the rural people is faced with challenges of workforce development, poverty, transportation and economic development (Wakerman & Humphreys, 2011).

Rural healthcare therefore needs sufficient support of community development initiatives, rural health care planning on long term basis, improvements in transportation, implementation of volunteer EMT services and health insurance. Funding programs of primary health care in indigenous organizations is also important in providing health care in these regions (Fred, Clinton & Keith, 2013).  The services of EMT must be accorded sufficient recognition due to the critical role they play in rural areas health care. The relevant recruitment and training of health care staff must thus be promoted to achieve the goals of EMT services. It is also imperative to consider novel initiatives for workforce development coupled with education that is likely to contribute significantly towards the development of rural health sustainable systems.

References

Deborah E. P. & Frank J. P., ( 2013). A Fair Deal For The Frontier

Deborah E. P. & Frank J. P., (2011).  Regional Planning on the Frontier In: Regional Planning in America: Practice and Prospect, Ethan Seltzer and Armano Carbonell (eds.) Cambridge: Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, 2011.

Fred, U.  Clinton, M. & Keith, M., (2013). Rural Implications of the Primary Care Incentive Payment Program RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis, Rural Policy Brief No. 2013-5.

Wakerman, J. & Humphreys, J.S., (2011). Sustainable primary health care services in rural and remote areas: innovation and evidence” Australian Journal of Rural Health Vol. 19, Issue 3 118-124.