Rural mental health service utilization in a Texas telepsychology clinic
Kevin R. Tarlow
Department of Psychology, Hampton University, Hampton, Virginia
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Carly E. McCord
Department of Psychiatry and Brain Sciences, College of Medicine, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
Department of Educational Psychology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
Correspondence Carly McCord, Director of Telebehavioral Health, College of Medicine, TexasTX A&M University, 8441 Highway 47, Clinical Building 1, Suite 1100, Bryan, TX 77807.
Email: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorYuxian Du
Hutchinson Institute for Cancer Outcome Research (HICOR), Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington
Department of Data Generation and Observational Studies (DGOS), Bayer Healthcare U.S. LLC, Whippany, New Jersey
Search for more papers by this authorJulie Hammett
Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
Search for more papers by this authorThomas Wills
Department of Educational Psychology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
Search for more papers by this authorKevin R. Tarlow
Department of Psychology, Hampton University, Hampton, Virginia
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Carly E. McCord
Department of Psychiatry and Brain Sciences, College of Medicine, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
Department of Educational Psychology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
Correspondence Carly McCord, Director of Telebehavioral Health, College of Medicine, TexasTX A&M University, 8441 Highway 47, Clinical Building 1, Suite 1100, Bryan, TX 77807.
Email: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorYuxian Du
Hutchinson Institute for Cancer Outcome Research (HICOR), Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington
Department of Data Generation and Observational Studies (DGOS), Bayer Healthcare U.S. LLC, Whippany, New Jersey
Search for more papers by this authorJulie Hammett
Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
Search for more papers by this authorThomas Wills
Department of Educational Psychology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
Search for more papers by this authorAbstract
Objective
To determine if service utilization behaviors varied with the remoteness of clients served by a telepsychology clinic in a predominantly rural health professional shortage area (HPSA) in Texas.
Methods
Archival data from 290 low-income clients were analyzed to test associations between service utilization behaviors and clients’ distance from the nearby access points where they traveled to receive counseling services from remotely located counselors.
Results
Distance to access points did not predict differences in service utilization behaviors. However, clients in rural counties traveled farther to receive services than clients in metropolitan areas. Some utilization behaviors varied by demographic variables and depressive symptom severity.
Conclusions
A “hub and spoke” model of telehealth service delivery is an acceptable model for improving access to mental health care services in rural and underserved communities, even for clients who live relatively far from access points. Telehealth providers should consider geographic, socioeconomic, transportation, and health-related barriers to care experienced by clients when implementing services and policies.
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