For those without a vehicle or restricted access to public transit, the ability to travel to healthcare facilities can be a challenge. This often results in missed appointments and delays in care, a problem that can lead to worsening health, reduced disease management, and increased costs for both patients and the healthcare system. This problem is especially prevalent in communities of color and among those with lower incomes, as they are more likely to skip required medical treatment due to transportation barriers.
Fortunately, new solutions are emerging. One such option is the use of ridesharing services, like Uber and Lyft, which allow patients to book a car ride to their doctor’s office. This service is becoming increasingly popular, and has even been incorporated into some electronic health records systems. In a recent study, however, researchers at Penn Medicine found that offering Medicaid patients who were already registered with their primary care provider free Lyft rides to their next appointment did not significantly reduce missed appointments.
In fact, the number of missed appointments actually went up when the free ride offer was introduced. The reason for this is that the solution only addresses one of the many barriers to healthcare access, and not all of them at once.
Numerous studies have shown that no-show rates are significantly higher for individuals with limited transportation. For example, a 2005 study found that 3.6 million Americans forgo or delay non-emergency medical treatment every year because they lack transportation to health facilities. This is a substantial burden on the US healthcare system. percentage of missed healthcare appointments because of travel