Travel Distance for Rural South Dakota Dermatology Care

Nearly 40 percent of dermatologists in the U.S. practice in the 100 most population dense areas, with less than 10 percent practicing in rural areas. Rurality, delayed detection time, and increased travel distance have been associated with worse malignancy outcomes. Without their local rural dermatologist, we hypothesized patients would face significantly increased travel distance and be less likely to receive dermatological care.

A survey was created to assess travel distance, likelihood to travel further for care, and use of primary care providers for dermatologic care. Eligible participants of the IRB approved study were patients of the only dermatology clinic in Yankton, South Dakota. Yankton is a town in southeastern South Dakota with a population of 14,687.

Overall, 100 surveys were completed. Most patients (53.5 percent) did not know where they would receive dermatologic care if the dermatology clinic was not available. The average patient would travel 42.6 miles further to the closest non-outreach dermatology clinics. Over 25 percent of patients were unlikely or not willing to travel further for care. As patient's age increased, so did their likelihood to travel further.

The data supports the hypothesis that without their local rural dermatologist, patients would face significantly increased travel distance and be less likely to receive dermatological care. Given the barriers to care in rural areas, it is imperative to proactively confront these challenges. Further studies are needed to assess for confounding factors in this dynamic and develop innovative solutions.