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Travel Distance to HIV Medical Care: A Geographic Analysis of Weighted Survey Data from the Medical Monitoring Project in Philadelphia, PA

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Abstract

Decisions regarding where patients access HIV care are not well understood. The purpose of this analysis was to examine differences in travel distance to care among persons receiving care in Philadelphia. A multi-stage sampling design was utilized to identify 400 potential participants. 65 % (260/400) agreed to be interviewed. Participants were asked questions about medical care, supportive services, and geographic location. Distances were calculated between residence and care location. 46.3 % travelled more than three miles beyond the nearest facility. Uninsured travelled further (6.9 miles, 95 % CI 3.9–9.8) than persons with public insurance (3.3 miles, 2.9–3.6). In multivariate analyses, no insurance (20/260) was associated with increased distance (p = 0.0005) and Hispanic ethnicity was associated with decreased distance (p = 0.0462). Persons without insurance travel further but insurance status alone does not explain the variability in distance travelled to care. In Philadelphia, Hispanic populations, and providers that may be most accessible to them, are spatially contained.

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Acknowledgments

The data collection and analysis for this manuscript was supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention grant number 5U62PS001608, distributed as part of the Medical Monitoring Project (FOA PS09-937). Additional support for the collaboration between Philadelphia Department of Public Health and the University of Pennsylvania Center for AIDS Research was provided by Grant numbers AI-045008 and P30 AI 087714.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. AIDS Activities Coordinating Office, Philadelphia Department of Public Health, 1101 Market Street, 8th Floor, Philadelphia, PA, 19107, USA

    M. G. Eberhart & K. A. Brady

  2. Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    C. D. Voytek & D. S. Metzger

  3. School of Social Policy and Practice, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    A. Hillier

  4. Center for Mental Health Policy and Services Research, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    M. B. Blank

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  1. M. G. Eberhart
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  2. C. D. Voytek
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  3. A. Hillier
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  4. D. S. Metzger
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  5. M. B. Blank
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  6. K. A. Brady
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Correspondence to M. G. Eberhart.

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Eberhart, M.G., Voytek, C.D., Hillier, A. et al. Travel Distance to HIV Medical Care: A Geographic Analysis of Weighted Survey Data from the Medical Monitoring Project in Philadelphia, PA. AIDS Behav 18, 776–782 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-013-0597-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-013-0597-7

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