Identifying and Defining the Healthcare Needs of a Rural Missouri Community: A Case-Study

The purpose of this case study is to understand and describe the healthcare needs of the citizens of a rural community in Missouri. The study was completed using the case study theory developed by Kathleen Eisenhardt. Eisenhardt follows a “no theory first” approach in which the research is used to both develop a theory and elaborate on the developed theory. This theory used the gaps in research to develop a research question and establish its relevance. Current research on rural healthcare provides evidence that rural citizens face healthcare disparities. While this research establishes that there are healthcare gaps in rural communities, research has not asked what the unique healthcare needs of rural communities are. This is where the relevance of this study was discovered. This study followed a multiple-subject, instrumental, case study approach in which the participants were bound within a single community. Subjects were selected through purposeful, stratified, and randomized sampling. Data collection methods included surveys, interviews, and observations. Surveys were designed to provide general demographic information, as well as provide insight into the health histories and healthcare satisfaction levels of the participants. The interviews were structured and included open ended questions to garner more authentic and complete answers. A holistic approach was taken when analyzing data in order to determine themes produced. Data was generalized to allow for findings to be applied to similar populations with similar contexts.