When driving through the country, especially where I live in beautiful central Virginia, it is easy to feel a sense of peace and tranquility. The plains of green grass, quiet roads, and vast mountains replace the skyscrapers and flashing lights. The smells are not of exhaust but a clean and effervescent fragrance prevails. The sounds are not of the offensive kind found in cities like horns and sirens but rather sounds of nature and its peaceful inhabitants. It is easy to gain a sense of comfort and protection in rural areas when you are away from the hustle and bustle of the city and the pressures of day-to-day fast-lane life.
Suppose for a moment that you became ill and suddenly needed medical attention. The isolation that was once so peaceful becomes frightening. The facilities are limited and difficult to find. More advanced care is hours away and finding transportation is not easy. Quickly the quiet and small rural environment becomes hindering for all of the reasons it is cherished.
Now picture another scenario. You are a resident of this rural community, not a day traveler enjoying the sites. This is your hometown, where you are an active member of its maintenance and livelihood. There is a local family healthcare facility, but besides maybe the annual physical examination and minor illness, all screenings and major illnesses must be conducted and treated at a major facility a few hours away. As long as you feel good, the inconvenience of a day of travel for preventive screenings may seem unnecessary.
Now suppose you find you have a serious illness, such as cancer. After several trips to a major healthcare facility for treatments, you are tired and the traveling has made it difficult for you to maintain your life and make it through your prescribed course of treatment. A major barrier that has been found in rural healthcare is the distance a patient must travel for such care.1 When treatments and screenings can be brought to those in need in rural areas, the response and adherence rate is much more encouraging. Since healthcare professionals want to reach all of those in need, this is an important concern.
Although the rural community gives much reason for preservation and celebration in its beautiful landscapes and family-like support systems, all healthcare is local and has limitations.1 Healthcare professionals are challenged to bridge this gap and provide more forms of treatment and ways to get screenings in rural communities.
This issue features articles with a wide range of foci on different areas of health in relation to rural communities. From being diagnosed to managing diabetes in rural communities to providing support for pregnant and parenting women, there are many areas of healthcare that are shown to have unique needs when set in a rural setting. Mental health services for those in rural communities are also described as an area of great need and disparity as well as one of importance.
We have many rural communities in our nation. As we strive to provide the best care for all, it will be important to remember not only whom we are serving but where they are and the resources available to them in their daily lives. What are our obligations to effectively meet the needs of our citizens who choose to live in rural areas. Many of these people engage in work that benefits all of us yet they so often are the last to receive quality, accessible, and affordable healthcare and social services. There is often a correlation between the rural nature of the locale and the availability of healthcare professionals. In general, the more rural the area, the fewer the healthcare workers. I hope you will find useful ideas in the articles in this issue.
Jeanette Lancaster
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