Problems of Primary Care Development in Poor Rural Areas.

摘要

The Department of Community Medicine of the University of Kentucky has developed and applied research instruments which accurately identify needs of rural areas for not only preventive primary health care but also for effective management of local hospitalization. Economic issues were delineated that affected marked distortion of expected illness and care utilization patterns. A rural primary center associated with a small hospital was established to address identified needs. The center met with initial success. When the economic impact of changes in the health industry on patients, hospital, and community became obvious, and when an opportunity to return to high hospital utilization patterns presented itself, the combination of these factors brought about the closure of the primary care center. The research findings, including identified economic issues and the primary care center experiences, indicate that major changes in health care planning and financing will be necessary if rural health programs are to be successfully developed. (APHA)