Friday, July 11, 2003

This presentation is part of : Populations at Risk

Who Uses Free Medical/Dental Care Health Fairs?

Jennifer M. Schaller-Ayers, PhD, RN, BC, Associate Professor, Family/Community Nursing, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN, USA, Kathleen Huttlinger, PhD, FNP, professor, College of Nursing, Kent State University, Kent, OH, USA, and James Ayers, DSW, professor, chair, Department of Social Work, East Tennessee State University, College of Nursing, Johnson City, TN, USA.
Learning Objective #1: Describe the population that uses free dental and medical care at yearly health care fairs
Learning Objective #2: Discuss options for the working poor without health insurance

Objectives: to discover who attends free medical/dental health fairs. Providing care to people without health insurance is a challenge that is growing especially for those between 18 and 64 years.

Population: 547 people in VA and 243 in TN completed the survey conduced at Remote Access Medical (RAM)events. RAM is an organization that partners with communities to provide care at no cost. A RAM expedition in Southwest Virginia at an airport hanger provided care to 2,600 people in 3 days. People receive services such as dental care (over 3,000 teeth were pulled), vision care with corrective glasses provided, medical care, mental health, and women’s health including mammograms and pelvic exams. Additionally a second RAM was held in Johnson County TN providing only dental and vision care.

Design and Variables: descriptive survey, The study was based on previous community needs assessment in SW Virginia. Demographic and satisfaction with services, and options for health care were explored. Suggestions for improvement of the services was also sought in open ended questions

Findings: Among the most interesting findings was that repeat users accounted for approximately 25% participants, flyers and friends were the most common means for learning of the event, on a scale from 1-5 (5 the highest), mean satisfaction scores ranged from 4.7 to 5. Some people left home at midnight to drive 250 miles to get to the clinic site before 6AM when the gate opened.

Conclusions: People without easy access to health care will drive miles to receive quality health care. Without access they will forgo health care as long as possible. Comments from people although positive, stressed the need for available care.

Implications: Findings will be incorporated to improve services at the 2003 event, information will be used to lobby legislators at all levels

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Back to 14th International Nursing Research Congress
Sigma Theta Tau International
10-12 July 2003