Rural medical care: an experimental delivery system

Area of Science:

• Medical Care Delivery Systems
• Rural Health
• Family Nurse Practitioner Programs

Background:

• An experimental medical care delivery system has operated since 1969.
• The system manages over 200 patient visits monthly, with an average cost of $23.00 per visit.
• Key demographics include women of childbearing age and elderly patients, with illness problems being the primary reason for visits.

Purpose of the Study:

• To operationalize the family nurse practitioner concept within a medical care delivery system.
• To demonstrate the feasibility of providing high-quality medical care in rural settings.
• To establish a viable alternative for extending medical care to rural communities.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of a cooperative program between a rural community and a university.
• Utilizing a clinic staffed by paramedical personnel.
• Extending medical resources from an urban center to a rural area.

Main Results:

• The system demonstrated the feasibility of delivering high-quality medical care in a rural community.
• The average patient visit time was approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes.
• The average visit cost was competitive with neighborhood health centers.

Conclusions:

• The demonstrated delivery system offers a viable alternative for extending medical care to rural populations.
• This model allows urban medical centers and physicians to extend resources to underserved rural areas.
• The family nurse practitioner concept was successfully operationalized within this rural healthcare setting.