Urban/rural differences in access and barriers to health care for people with multiple sclerosis

People living in rural areas face barriers when seeking health care, often experiencing difficulties accessing health providers or facilities. Little is known about barriers to the use of health care confronting people with multiple sclerosis (MS) in rural areas.

To identify any rural/urban differences in access and barriers to health services, including MS-focused care, among people with MS.

The data were collected in a survey of 1,518 people with MS living in all 50 States. The study included three geographic subgroups: urban areas; adjacent rural areas; and more remote rural areas.

We found significant rural/urban differences in access and barriers to care among people with MS, especially for MS-focused care. Significantly smaller proportions of people with MS from adjacent and more remote rural areas reported no difficulty getting MS-related care than their urban counterparts.

Greater difficulty accessing MS-related care experienced by people with MS in rural areas has negative implications for the quality of the MS care they receive.