Health care accessibility for chronic illness management and end-of-life care: a view from rural America

J Law Med Ethics. 2011 Summer;39(2):140-55. doi: 10.1111/j.1748-720X.2011.00584.x.

Abstract

Nearly $2 trillion is spent annually in the U.S. treating chronic illness--yet accessibility to quality health care services in rural communities for the chronically ill and dying remains problematic. Unique barriers present special challenges to a meaningful discussion of and subsequent strategies for addressing these issues in the context of increasingly scarce resources.

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Chronic Disease / economics
  • Chronic Disease / therapy*
  • Health Care Costs
  • Health Services Accessibility*
  • Humans
  • Rural Health Services* / supply & distribution
  • Terminal Care* / economics
  • United States
  • Vulnerable Populations