A Rural Perspective on Health Care for the Whole Person

• Published in: Professional psychology, research and practice Vol. 38; no. 3; pp. 298 - 304
• Main Authors: Stamm, B. Hudnall, Lambert, David, Piland, Neill F, Speck, Nancy C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington American Psychological Association 01-06-2007
• Subjects: Health Care Delivery; Health Care Services; Health psychology; Human; Inequality; Quality of Life; Rural areas; Rural Environments; Rural health care; Stress; United States > US; secondary traumatic stress; professional quality of life; health disparities; health care; rural
• ISSN: 0735-7028; 1939-1323
• DOI: 10.1037/0735-7028.38.3.298

The authors summarize the health care problems facing rural and frontier America by addressing five key issues within the framework of health care for the whole person: how to (a) provide health care access, (b) ensure health care quality, (c) provide a range of health care or meet the scope of practice demands, (d) address regional, rural-specific characteristics that may exist, and (e) address health professionals' quality of life. When working in rural and frontier areas it is crucial for providers to collaborate across all types of health care to provide better care and better utilize a region's tautly stretched resources. Rural health care resources are provided. The authors attempt to demonstrate characteristics of rural culture and rural and frontier populations' health care disparities, highlighting the need for collaborative care.