Strategically Addressing Transportation Barriers to Primary Care in Rural Clinics

Many rural primary care clinics have limited transportation resources, and this affects patients’ ability to receive health care services. The purpose of this integrative review was to synthesize findings and recommendations to solve existing patient transportation barriers in rural clinics. Levesque’s conceptual framework supported this review through exploration, assessment, and measurement of access in primary care clinics. A search of empirical and nonempirical sources was conducted to determine themes and subthemes that could provide solutions and best practices related to rural transportation needs. Over 100 articles were initially chosen, and 23 articles were deemed appropriate for further analysis. As a result of the analyses, the following six problem-solving themes were chosen: access to primary care, developing partnerships to enhance transportation services, improving health equity, removing transportation financial barriers, systems approach to transportation coordination, and telemedicine implementation. The eleven subthemes further supported the main themes: network development, designed care coordination, community hospital partnerships, social service organization partnerships, promoting accessible healthcare, involving socially vulnerable communities, insurance coverage for transportation, rideshare accommodation, communication between healthcare professionals, equipment needs, and education needs. Results indicated that adopting a systems approach to solving transportation needs includes communication, coordination, telehealth, and appropriate services through the development of connections between healthcare administrators, community leaders, organizations, and patients, which can lead to positive social change.