Eastern Kentucky University
Trends in Health Care in Appalachia: A Comparative Study of Urban and Rural Health Care in Eastern Kentucky
Institution
Eastern Kentucky University
Faculty Advisor/ Mentor
Martin Brock
Abstract
Access and attitudes toward health care options among the rural and urban poor in Kentucky show both similarities and differences. Populations of individuals seeking health care in the poorest districts of Lexington and around Hazard were assessed with respect to quality, availability, and perceptions of equitability. Historical patterns do not seem to correlate with current attitudes in many instances. While urban health care access remains limited in the poorer districts, patterns of health care delivery in rural areas of the state are changing. Attitudes about health care access in rural Kentucky are more positive than in previous generations and more positive than in urban areas.
Trends in Health Care in Appalachia: A Comparative Study of Urban and Rural Health Care in Eastern Kentucky
Access and attitudes toward health care options among the rural and urban poor in Kentucky show both similarities and differences. Populations of individuals seeking health care in the poorest districts of Lexington and around Hazard were assessed with respect to quality, availability, and perceptions of equitability. Historical patterns do not seem to correlate with current attitudes in many instances. While urban health care access remains limited in the poorer districts, patterns of health care delivery in rural areas of the state are changing. Attitudes about health care access in rural Kentucky are more positive than in previous generations and more positive than in urban areas.