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In keeping with its commitment to improving the well-being of
individuals and families within rural Indiana, Family Health
Services has partnered with Medical Care and Outcomes, Hoosier
Uplands, and the Indiana Rural Health Association to form a
network that is proposing the Collaborative Model for Continuity
of Care in Indiana Rural Health Clinics Outreach Program, which will benefit residents of Fayette,
Rush, Franklin, Orange and Crawford counties in Indiana, and
particularly those that are uninsured, those living in poverty,
and those with chronic diseases.
The health
related problems to be addressed by the outreach program include
 lack of professional follow-up services for patients that
promotes medication compliance
the need for increased health care provider communication
and collaboration regarding rural patients’ health status
the need for better documentation of medical outcomes and
complications throughout the patients experience and
the need for assistance with patient access to additional
health care services.
Due to the nature of health care delivery in rural areas to
low-income patients, there is a communication gap following the
primary care office visit. Once the patient leaves the office,
little is known about the patient. With United States
medication non-compliance rates for hypertension, diabetes, and
asthma being 53%, 42%, and 39% respectively, the rural citizen
has added barriers to health care access above that of the urban
citizen. A study released by the American Pharmaceutical
Association has updated an analysis of prescription drug use
problems in the United States. It estimates that drug misuse
costs the economy more than $177 billion each year. The
estimated number of patient deaths has increased from 198,000 in
1995 to 218,000 in 2000. To further complicate the above stated
access barriers, each of the five counties targeted by the
Outreach Program have some level of health professional shortage
area (HPSA) or medically underserved area (MUA) designation.
To accomplish its goal to improve health outcomes of patients at
the targeted health clinics in Fayette, Rush, Crawford
and Orange counties in Indiana, the Outreach Program will
implement a follow-up intervention program that will
Improve medication compliance of patients,
Improve patient understanding regarding health condition,
primary health care providers instructions, and benefits of
medication compliance through education,
Increase improvement in overall health and well-being
reports among patients,
Increase the continuity of care/communication among the
patient, primary health care provider, and other health care
professionals, and
Improve documentation of medical outcomes throughout the
continuum of care.
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Rural Health
Outreach Gallery
