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Mobility concepts and access to health care in a rural district in Germany: a mixed methods approach

Overview of attention for article published in BMC Primary Care, May 2018
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  • Good Attention Score compared to outputs of the same age (66th percentile)
  • Good Attention Score compared to outputs of the same age and source (66th percentile)

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1 policy source
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22 Dimensions

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Title
Mobility concepts and access to health care in a rural district in Germany: a mixed methods approach
Published in
BMC Primary Care, May 2018
DOI 10.1186/s12875-018-0733-6
Pubmed ID
Authors

Lisa Schröder, Kristina Flägel, Katja Goetz, Jost Steinhäuser

Abstract

Western countries are facing the challenges of an imminent shortage of physicians, especially general practitioners. As a consequence longer travel times to doctors' practices may arise. This study aimed to investigate the mobility behavior of a rural population in terms of medical consultations. An exploratory mixed-methods design was conducted in the Waldshut district of the federal state Baden-Württemberg in Germany. Focus groups and a single telephone-interview with representatives, occupationally affiliated with mobility in the district (e.g. representatives of public transport, nursing-services or the District Office Waldshut), were performed in 2016 and analyzed using Mayring's structuring content analysis. A questionnaire based on the collected qualitative data was subsequently distributed to a random sample of 1000 adult inhabitants living in the Waldshut district. Quantitative data were analyzed employing descriptive statistics. Qualitatively, four focus groups and one single telephone-interview with a total of 20 participants were performed. Therein the necessity of reaching a nearby general practitioner and the importance of individual motor traffic was emphasized. Novel mobility modes of ride sharing and telemedicine were controversially discussed as future transport and consultation options, respectively. Quantitatively, 277 questionnaires (27.7%) were valid and included in our analysis. Mean age was 51 years (SD = 18.5) and 58% (n = 160) were female. Irrespective of the mode of transport 60% (n = 166) expected to reach their general practitioner within 15 min. Using the possibility of multiple answers 47% (n = 192) stated to use a car in order to reach their general practitioner, public transport was used by 5% (n = 19). Nearly 80% (n = 220) could imagine sharing a car with well-known persons for consultations. Turning to a general practitioner via telemedicine was imaginable for 32% (n = 91). Individual motor car traffic seems to be an important factor in providing accessibility to rural medical care. As a supplementation, web based ride sharing has economic and structural potential for reaching a doctor's practice. However, familiarity and trustworthiness need to be guaranteed within this flexible transport mode. Furthermore, telemedicine may be a future approach in order to reduce travel time to a doctor's practice.

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Mendeley readers

Mendeley readers

The data shown below were compiled from readership statistics for 80 Mendeley readers of this research output. Click here to see the associated Mendeley record.

Geographical breakdown

Country Count As %
Unknown 80 100%

Demographic breakdown

Readers by professional status Count As %
Student > Master 13 16%
Student > Ph. D. Student 10 13%
Student > Doctoral Student 9 11%
Student > Bachelor 8 10%
Researcher 6 8%
Other 10 13%
Unknown 24 30%
Readers by discipline Count As %
Medicine and Dentistry 14 18%
Nursing and Health Professions 11 14%
Social Sciences 5 6%
Engineering 5 6%
Psychology 3 4%
Other 13 16%
Unknown 29 36%
Attention Score in Context

Attention Score in Context

This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 5. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 13 October 2021.
All research outputs
#7,050,597
of 25,382,440 outputs
Outputs from BMC Primary Care
#914
of 2,359 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#113,889
of 338,899 outputs
Outputs of similar age from BMC Primary Care
#15
of 45 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 25,382,440 research outputs across all sources so far. This one has received more attention than most of these and is in the 71st percentile.
So far Altmetric has tracked 2,359 research outputs from this source. They typically receive more attention than average, with a mean Attention Score of 7.7. This one has gotten more attention than average, scoring higher than 60% of its peers.
Older research outputs will score higher simply because they've had more time to accumulate mentions. To account for age we can compare this Altmetric Attention Score to the 338,899 tracked outputs that were published within six weeks on either side of this one in any source. This one has gotten more attention than average, scoring higher than 66% of its contemporaries.
We're also able to compare this research output to 45 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one has gotten more attention than average, scoring higher than 66% of its contemporaries.