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Long ambulance response times, costly and unreliable non-emergency transportation, and insufficient insurance coverage for travel-related health care expenses are among the key findings of a new report released by the University of Hawai\u02bbi Rural Health Research and Policy Center<\/a> (UH RHRPC).<\/p>\n The Impacts of Transportation and Travel Access on Rural Health in Hawai\u02bbi<\/a> underscores the widespread challenges faced by residents in rural and neighbor island communities when trying to access timely and affordable health care, and offers policy solutions to address barriers.<\/p>\n Although about 30% of Hawai\u02bbi\u2019s population lives in rural areas spread across six publicly inhabited islands, most specialty care is located on O\u02bbahu. The report found that residents of Moloka\u02bbi and L\u0101na\u02bbi routinely face flight delays or cancellations, often missing urgent medical appointments and waiting months for rescheduling.<\/p>\n The report also highlights gaps in insurance coverage, especially for patients who do not qualify for Medicaid, and the high out-of-pocket costs for travel, lodging, and food associated with medical visits. Maternal-fetal health services are particularly challenging, with some pregnant patients needing to relocate from neighbor islands to O\u02bbahu for prenatal and delivery care or risk emergency medevac transport.<\/p>\n \u201cImproving access will require coordinated efforts across healthcare, transportation and policy sectors,\u201d said John Desfor, UH RHRPC policy and data analyst. \u201cWe hope this research will guide meaningful action to improve transportation access for healthcare in rural communities across Hawai\u02bbi.\u201d<\/p>\n Some of the shared policy options to address these challenges include:<\/p>\n This project was supported with funding from the Hawai\u02bbi State Department of Health Office of Primary Care and Rural Health.<\/p>\n The four-part report features a literature review, interviews with 40 stakeholders, policy recommendations and a focused sub-report on maternal-fetal telehealth. See the entire report on the UH RHRPC website<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cWe appreciate the significant community engagement in this project from start to finish,\u201d said Aimee Grace, UH RHRPC principal investigator and UH Strategic Health Initiatives director. \u201cMany stakeholders met with our team to share their stories or contribute context and policy ideas. We look forward to working together to share these policy options further.\u201d<\/p>\n\n