Patient Travel Distance to Neurologist Visits.

Humans United States / epidemiology Aged Neurologists Medicare Cross-Sectional Studies Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Travel Health Services Accessibility

Journal

Neurology
ISSN: 1526-632X
Titre abrégé: Neurology
Pays: United States
ID NLM: 0401060

Informations de publication

Date de publication:
31 10 2023
Historique:
received: 19 04 2023
accepted: 10 07 2023
pmc-release: 31 10 2024
medline: 1 11 2023
pubmed: 14 9 2023
entrez: 13 9 2023
Statut: ppublish

Résumé

The density of neurologists within a given geographic region varies greatly across the United States. We aimed to measure patient travel distance and travel time to neurologist visits, across neurologic conditions and subspecialties. Our secondary goal was to identify factors associated with long-distance travel for neurologic care. We performed a cross-sectional analysis using a 2018 Medicare sample of patients with at least 1 outpatient neurologist visit. We identified 563,216 Medicare beneficiaries with a neurologist visit in 2018. Of them, 96,213 (17%) traveled long distance for care. The median driving distance and time were 81.3 (interquartile range [IQR]: 59.9-144.2) miles and 90 (IQR: 69-149) minutes for patients with long-distance travel compared with 13.2 (IQR: 6.5-23) miles and 22 (IQR: 14-33) minutes for patients without long-distance travel. Comparing across neurologic conditions, long-distance travel was most common for nervous system cancer care (39.6%), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis [ALS] (32.1%), and MS (22.8%). Many factors were associated with long-distance travel, most notably low neurologist density (first quintile: OR 3.04 [95% CI 2.41-3.83] vs fifth quintile), rural setting (4.89 [4.79-4.99]), long-distance travel to primary care physician visit (3.6 [3.51-3.69]), and visits for ALS and nervous system cancer care (3.41 [3.14-3.69] and 5.27 [4.72-5.89], respectively). Nearly one-third of patients bypassed the nearest neurologist by 20+ miles, and 7.3% of patients crossed state lines for neurologist care. We found that nearly 1 in 5 Medicare beneficiaries who saw a neurologist traveled ≥50 miles 1-way for care, and travel burden was most common for lower-prevalence neurologic conditions that required coordinated multidisciplinary care. Important potentially addressable predictors of long-distance travel were low neurologist density and rural location, suggesting interventions to improve access to care such as telemedicine or neurologic subspecialist support to local neurologists. Future work should evaluate differences in clinical outcomes between patients with long-distance travel and those without.

Sections du résumé

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
The density of neurologists within a given geographic region varies greatly across the United States. We aimed to measure patient travel distance and travel time to neurologist visits, across neurologic conditions and subspecialties. Our secondary goal was to identify factors associated with long-distance travel for neurologic care.
METHODS
We performed a cross-sectional analysis using a 2018 Medicare sample of patients with at least 1 outpatient neurologist visit.
RESULTS
We identified 563,216 Medicare beneficiaries with a neurologist visit in 2018. Of them, 96,213 (17%) traveled long distance for care. The median driving distance and time were 81.3 (interquartile range [IQR]: 59.9-144.2) miles and 90 (IQR: 69-149) minutes for patients with long-distance travel compared with 13.2 (IQR: 6.5-23) miles and 22 (IQR: 14-33) minutes for patients without long-distance travel. Comparing across neurologic conditions, long-distance travel was most common for nervous system cancer care (39.6%), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis [ALS] (32.1%), and MS (22.8%). Many factors were associated with long-distance travel, most notably low neurologist density (first quintile: OR 3.04 [95% CI 2.41-3.83] vs fifth quintile), rural setting (4.89 [4.79-4.99]), long-distance travel to primary care physician visit (3.6 [3.51-3.69]), and visits for ALS and nervous system cancer care (3.41 [3.14-3.69] and 5.27 [4.72-5.89], respectively). Nearly one-third of patients bypassed the nearest neurologist by 20+ miles, and 7.3% of patients crossed state lines for neurologist care.
DISCUSSION
We found that nearly 1 in 5 Medicare beneficiaries who saw a neurologist traveled ≥50 miles 1-way for care, and travel burden was most common for lower-prevalence neurologic conditions that required coordinated multidisciplinary care. Important potentially addressable predictors of long-distance travel were low neurologist density and rural location, suggesting interventions to improve access to care such as telemedicine or neurologic subspecialist support to local neurologists. Future work should evaluate differences in clinical outcomes between patients with long-distance travel and those without.

Identifiants

DOI: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000207810 PMID: 37704403 PMC: PMC10634641
pubmed: 37704403
pii: WNL.0000000000207810
doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000207810
pmc: PMC10634641
doi:

Types de publication

Journal Article Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Langues

eng

Sous-ensembles de citation

IM

Pagination

e1807-e1820

Subventions

Organisme : NINDS NIH HHS
ID : K23 NS126495
Pays : United States

Informations de copyright

© 2023 American Academy of Neurology.

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Auteurs

Chun Chieh Lin (CC)

From the Department of Neurology (C.C.L., C.E.H., L.B.D.L., B.C.C.), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor; Department of Neurology (C.C.L., K.A.K., J.F.B.), the Ohio State University, Columbus; Department of Neurology (L.E.S.), Northwestern University, Chicago, IL; Department of Neurology (G.J.E.), Emory University, Atlanta, GA; and Department of Neurology (A.H.), Yale University, New Haven, CT. Anna.Lin@osumc.edu.
ORCID: 0000-0003-4470-2648

Chloe E Hill (CE)

From the Department of Neurology (C.C.L., C.E.H., L.B.D.L., B.C.C.), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor; Department of Neurology (C.C.L., K.A.K., J.F.B.), the Ohio State University, Columbus; Department of Neurology (L.E.S.), Northwestern University, Chicago, IL; Department of Neurology (G.J.E.), Emory University, Atlanta, GA; and Department of Neurology (A.H.), Yale University, New Haven, CT.

Kevin A Kerber (KA)

From the Department of Neurology (C.C.L., C.E.H., L.B.D.L., B.C.C.), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor; Department of Neurology (C.C.L., K.A.K., J.F.B.), the Ohio State University, Columbus; Department of Neurology (L.E.S.), Northwestern University, Chicago, IL; Department of Neurology (G.J.E.), Emory University, Atlanta, GA; and Department of Neurology (A.H.), Yale University, New Haven, CT.

James F Burke (JF)

From the Department of Neurology (C.C.L., C.E.H., L.B.D.L., B.C.C.), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor; Department of Neurology (C.C.L., K.A.K., J.F.B.), the Ohio State University, Columbus; Department of Neurology (L.E.S.), Northwestern University, Chicago, IL; Department of Neurology (G.J.E.), Emory University, Atlanta, GA; and Department of Neurology (A.H.), Yale University, New Haven, CT.

Lesli E Skolarus (LE)

From the Department of Neurology (C.C.L., C.E.H., L.B.D.L., B.C.C.), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor; Department of Neurology (C.C.L., K.A.K., J.F.B.), the Ohio State University, Columbus; Department of Neurology (L.E.S.), Northwestern University, Chicago, IL; Department of Neurology (G.J.E.), Emory University, Atlanta, GA; and Department of Neurology (A.H.), Yale University, New Haven, CT.
ORCID: 0000-0002-3088-9838

Gregory J Esper (GJ)

From the Department of Neurology (C.C.L., C.E.H., L.B.D.L., B.C.C.), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor; Department of Neurology (C.C.L., K.A.K., J.F.B.), the Ohio State University, Columbus; Department of Neurology (L.E.S.), Northwestern University, Chicago, IL; Department of Neurology (G.J.E.), Emory University, Atlanta, GA; and Department of Neurology (A.H.), Yale University, New Haven, CT.

Adam de Havenon (A)

From the Department of Neurology (C.C.L., C.E.H., L.B.D.L., B.C.C.), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor; Department of Neurology (C.C.L., K.A.K., J.F.B.), the Ohio State University, Columbus; Department of Neurology (L.E.S.), Northwestern University, Chicago, IL; Department of Neurology (G.J.E.), Emory University, Atlanta, GA; and Department of Neurology (A.H.), Yale University, New Haven, CT.
ORCID: 0000-0001-8178-8597

Lindsey B De Lott (LB)

From the Department of Neurology (C.C.L., C.E.H., L.B.D.L., B.C.C.), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor; Department of Neurology (C.C.L., K.A.K., J.F.B.), the Ohio State University, Columbus; Department of Neurology (L.E.S.), Northwestern University, Chicago, IL; Department of Neurology (G.J.E.), Emory University, Atlanta, GA; and Department of Neurology (A.H.), Yale University, New Haven, CT.
ORCID: 0000-0003-2403-0207

Brian C Callaghan (BC)

From the Department of Neurology (C.C.L., C.E.H., L.B.D.L., B.C.C.), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor; Department of Neurology (C.C.L., K.A.K., J.F.B.), the Ohio State University, Columbus; Department of Neurology (L.E.S.), Northwestern University, Chicago, IL; Department of Neurology (G.J.E.), Emory University, Atlanta, GA; and Department of Neurology (A.H.), Yale University, New Haven, CT.

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Classifications MeSH

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questionsmedicales.fr › Régions géographiques › Amériques › Amérique du Nord › États-Unis › Patient Travel Distance to Neurologist Visits.
questionsmedicales.fr › Personnes › Tranches d'âge › Adulte › Sujet âgé › Patient Travel Distance to Neurologist Visits.
questionsmedicales.fr › Établissements, main d'oeuvre et services de soins de santé › Personnel de santé › Médecins › Neurologues › Patient Travel Distance to Neurologist Visits.
questionsmedicales.fr › Organisations et économie des soins de santé › Contrôle social formel › Législation comme sujet › Medicare (USA) › Patient Travel Distance to Neurologist Visits.
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questionsmedicales.fr › Maladies métaboliques et nutritionnelles › Maladies métaboliques › Troubles de l'homéostasie des protéines › Protéinopathies TDP-43 › Sclérose latérale amyotrophique › Patient Travel Distance to Neurologist Visits.
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questionsmedicales.fr › Qualité, accès, évaluation des soins de santé › Prestations des soins de santé › Accessibilité des services de santé › Patient Travel Distance to Neurologist Visits.