Rural mobile health unit: outcomes.

The Mobile Health Unit was implemented to increase access to nursing services, to improve and/or maintain functional status and health status, and to increase health promotion behaviors of rural elderly residents experiencing difficulty obtaining health care due to illness, transportation problems, or financial factors. For 222 project participants 1,773 encounters were completed, with a mean number of visits per individual of 7.9. Participants in the project demonstrated increased breast and cervical cancer screenings, increased immunization rates for influenza, pneumonia and tetanus, and decreased utilization of the emergency room. This project represents an alternative model of health care delivery in a rural area with limited resources and health care providers.