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Maternal & Child Health > Needs Assessment > Access to Health Care Access to Health Care

Healthy People 2010 Goal:

  • To increase physician office visits that include diet/nutrition counseling for medical conditions (age Adjusted) to 75%.
  • To increase the dental annual visits (age adjusted, aged 2 years and over) to 56%.
  • To increase the treatment for adults with serious mental illness (aged 18 to 54 years) to 55%.
  • To decrease the difficulties or delays in obtaining needed health care to 7%.
  • To increase the persons with usual primary care provider to 85%.

Availability of Health Care professionals in Indiana:

  • Twenty-four counties in whole and fifteen counties in part were designated as Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) for primary health care providers. (2004 Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH). ( http://www.in.gov/isdh/publications/llo/shortages/pc_map.htm)
  • Eighteen counties in whole and six counties in part were designated as HPSAs for Mental Health Providers (2004 ISDH). ( http://www.in.gov/isdh/publications/llo/shortages/ment_map.htm)
  • Five counties in whole and seven counties in part were designated as HPSAs for Dental Health Providers (ISDH). ( http://www.in.gov/isdh/publications/llo/shortages/dent_map.htm)
  • Thirteen counties in whole and thirty-five counties in part were designated as Medically Underserved Areas (ISDH). ( http://www.in.gov/isdh/publications/llo/shortages/mua_map.htm)
  • Indiana Family Help Line (IFHL) provides information on variety of health topics to Indiana residents. During 2001 and 2002, IFHL received the highest number of calls requesting general dentistry information (18.66%), indicating the need for dental health care professionals in Indiana.
  • In addition to primary care providers, In the coming years (2003-2008) Indiana will have to find sources for over 2,400 registered nurses positions, over 800 respiratory therapist positions and over 400 physical therapist positions. Indiana also needs to find workers for radiation technology and occupational therapy, by a smaller margin. (Health Industries Workforce Study).

Accessibility

  • 5.6% of the Indiana residents said that there was a time in the past 12 months when they needed medical care but could not get it. When asked for reason, 55.3% of them said that the main reason was cost (2002 BRFSS).
  • 74.2% of the Indiana residents said that they have a person who they think of as their personal doctor or health care provider (2002 BRFSS).
  • Eight counties have no ambulance service, 40 have one, 19 have two, and 23 counties have three ore more services (2004 Indiana county capacity survey).
  • 18 counties have countywide bus service, 26 counties have city/town bus service available, and 46 counties have a taxi service available. However, 79 counties have transportation available for Medicaid clients (2004 Indiana county capacity survey).

Health Service Needs (2004 Indiana County Survey):

  • 17 counties had no hospitals, 53 counties had one, and 20 counties had 2 or more.
  • 26 counties had no registered dieticians available for outpatient nutrition counseling for prenatal nutrition, or nutrition therapy related to chronic disease, 32 counties had one, 13 counties had 2, and 18 counties had 3 or more.
  • 78 counties reported having mental health services for children and adolescents and 16 counties indicated mental health services were available in next county.
  • 45 of 90 surveyed counties have free clinics.