Getting medical care is hard enough, but for many older Americans—especially those in rural areas—seeing a brain specialist can mean taking a long trip.
A study led by Michigan Medicine looked at older adults on Medicare who saw a neurologist in 2018.
The results showed that nearly 18% had to travel at least 50 miles one way just to make it to their appointment.
Dr. Brian C. Callaghan, one of the study leaders, said that these long trips can make it harder for patients to come back for follow-up visits. The average trip for people who traveled far was about 81 miles and took around 90 minutes. For those who lived closer to care, the average distance was only 13 miles and took about 22 minutes.
People living in rural communities or areas with few neurology specialists were the most likely to face these long journeys. Patients with serious conditions like ALS or cancers of the nervous system were also more likely to have to travel far.
Surprisingly, nearly one-third of patients skipped over a closer neurologist to visit one even farther away, and about 7% went to another state.
These travel demands raise concerns. Long trips could lead to fewer return visits. In fact, Dr. Chun Chieh (Anna) Lin, another researcher, found that people who had to travel far were 26% less likely to return for another appointment.
In cancer care, long travel times have been linked to delays in treatment and lower quality of life. The same might be true for people with brain and nerve conditions.
So, what can be done? Experts suggest more telemedicine—or video doctor visits—could help bring care to patients without the long drive. Training local family doctors to manage simple brain and nerve issues could also be helpful.
Researchers want to keep studying how travel affects patient health, and they’re also looking into whether telemedicine, which became more common during the COVID-19 pandemic, has improved access to care.
The study was funded by the American Academy of Neurology and aims to make healthcare more accessible, especially for people with complex conditions that require specialized treatment.
If you’re interested in brain health, other studies show that the Mediterranean diet may help protect the brain, and simple brain scans might predict dementia risk. Research has also looked into how antioxidants and coconut oil might improve brain function in people with Alzheimer’s.
This study was published in the journal Neurology.
If you care about dementia, please read studies about Dizziness upon standing may be linked to dementia risk and findings of Scientists find the ties between high blood pressure and dementia.
For more about dementia, please read studies about Early heart rhythm problem linked to higher dementia risk and findings of Green leafy vegetables may help reduce Alzheimer’s risk.
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