Access to medical care among the elderly in rural northeastern Ohio.

BACKGROUND

Conventional wisdom holds that the elderly living in rural areas suffer poor health and have limited access to health care compared with their urban peers. The relation between poor health and limited access, however, has yet to be adequately defined.

METHODS

We conducted a telephone survey of 1000 elderly persons living in four rural northeastern Ohio counties using a proportional random-digit dialing method.

RESULTS

Many rural elderly respondents appeared to suffer poor health and have limited access to medical care. However, a detailed analysis revealed that poor health and limited access were more perceptual than actual.

CONCLUSIONS

Elderly persons living independently in rural northeast Ohio have much better health and access to care than suggested by the literature.