Although more health systems are partnering with ridesharing companies to provide inexpensive transportation for low-income patients, these services may not solve the problem of missed medical appointments, according to a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine.
The study gathered data from approximately 800 Philadelphia residents who were Medicaid patients at one of two Philadelphia-based Penn Medicine primary care practices.
Here are four things to know about the study.
1. Patients who were offered a free Lyft ride and those who were not offered a ride had nearly identical rates of missing medical appointments — 36.5 percent vs. 36.7 percent, respectively.
2. "Transportation is often a barrier to care for many patients, but solutions that don't address other barriers may not be enough to help patients get to doctor appointments," said lead study author Krisda Chaiyachati, MD.
3. Approximately 3.6 million people, many of whom are low income, miss medical appointments due to transportation issues each year, according to a 2006 study. As a result, patients often choose to receive treatment in more costly, acute care settings. Missed medical appointments also negatively affect clinical productivity and unused clinical space can contribute to a health system's revenue loss.
4. Although Dr. Chaiyachati recognizes this is a negative finding, it will prove to be important to solving patient transportation barriers. "[The finding] can inform future efforts to help improve attendance rates and highlights the complexity of social barriers when caring for poor patients," he said.