Rural Missourians have worse health outcomes than Missourians in St. Louis or Kansas City, according to the Missouri Rural Health Association’s 2023 Needs Assessment Report.
Derek Landes, the primary researcher of the study, said there were two main parts to it: analyzing data and conducting town halls with rural healthcare leaders and stakeholders to see what they think the largest issues are. The study found that the biggest two issues are transportation and health care provider shortages.
"We can’t get people to their doctor’s appointments and when they do, we don’t have the care that they need," said Landes. "And, the thing that always comes up after that is costs — I mean, it’s expensive.”
Health care costs are more than just the actual charge of services and medicines. Landes said it’s easy to ignore health problems if it’s difficult to access health services. For example, Landes said, “if I am dealing with low income and trying to keep my family fed, to take a day off work to be able to travel three towns over to go get some preventative care — there’s not a problem right now.”
According to a report published last summer by the Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform, one-third of rural Missouri hospitals are at risk of closure. In southwest Missouri, Cox Monett Hospital closed its labor and delivery department last July.
One possible solution to these barriers is expanding telehealth access, according to the MRHA report. A bill in the Missouri House, if passed, would lift restrictions on health providers' choices of telehealth technologies, like audio-only.
