Mobile Health Clinic: Introduction to Community Service

This article provides an introduction to the mobile health clinic and its role in providing healthcare services to remote areas. It discusses the strategies used by the clinic to overcome transportation barriers and fulfill the gap in healthcare services. The clinic targets populations in remote areas of Australia and serves both uninsured and publicly insured individuals. The article also highlights the opportunity for the clinic to expand its services to other areas in need.

Running head: INTRODUCTION TO COMMUNITY SERVICE
Mobile health clinic
Introduction to community service
Report
Student name
[Pick the date]

INTRODUCTION TO COMMUNITY SERVICE 1
Introduction
It has been seen that people who belong to remote areas of the country mainly suffer from
health issues because these areas are cut off from the metropolitans and their infrastructure is
also not good enough to provide them support related to health aspects (Heath, 2018). In addition
to this, these section of the population is not financially capable to make use of transport services
on a daily basis in order to take health-related services. In this situation, mobile health service
offers them the best option to take care of their health service by eliminating the use of the
transport service.
Mobile health service agency
The main purpose of this agency is to offer health care service to those populations which
are living in remote areas and are under the influence of traditional barriers in order to access the
health services in terms of transportation, disbelieve related to the health care system and time
constraints. Mobile health service clinic mainly offers health care services like primary and
dental care. In addition to this, they also offer services such as disease management, attitude
towards health care and parental care.
(Source: Mobile health clinic, 2016)
This health community agency mainly targets those populations which are living in
remote areas of Australia which are continuously suffering from health issues. As per the study,
it has been found that this health agency is serving both uninsured as well as publically insured
population in order to create a healthy environment in the country. It has been seen that they
have served almost every section of this weak section population in terms of children under age
18, parents and other section of this community (Mahmood et al., 2015). This health community
agency is slowly dominating the health section of the vulnerable population. This health
community agency is increasing their working area from rural section to urban section because
they believe that urban areas also include individuals who are in great need of this health care
service.

INTRODUCTION TO COMMUNITY SERVICE 2
This health community agency has a great opportunity to expand their service to other
areas of the country which are in great need because areas are continuously struggling related to
transportation service to access health care. In addition to this, areas like Mungallala and
Queensland are not occupied with health care clinics and therefore lack primary health care
services (Seabrook et al., 2011). In some cases, it has been found that even old individuals who
are continuously in need of health care remain cut off from their primary care.
(Source: Mobile health clinic, 2016)
Mobile health community agency strategy
This health community service has divided its service into three main frameworks. First
is gaining the trust of the vulnerable population with the help of their quality service. Second is
removing the transportation barrier between patient and healthcare provider. Fulfill the service
gap in health care system related to these weak populations of the country.
Trust building
In this part, this community health agency serves both uninsured and insured patient. In
addition to this, they also offer education related to health care service in order to make people
aware of the importance of this service (Plough et al., 2013). They also involve local people in
their service in the form of volunteers which help in developing positive relationships with the
community.

INTRODUCTION TO COMMUNITY SERVICE 3
(Source: Health insurance, 2019)
Removing transportation barrier
In this part, this community health agency makes use of their personal health van through
which they are providing their service in these remote areas. These vans are fully occupied with
all the medical facilities which are essential for primary care, medical and behavioural care
(Jacobs et al., 2011). In addition to this, they have completely removed the culture of taking
appointment related to health service which was acting as one of the barriers.
Fulfill gap
In this part, this health community agency is trying to reduce the gap between expected
health service and health service which they are getting in reality. They are offering preventive
care education along with medical education in order to develop a positive attitude towards
health service by eliminating traditional barrier which is restricting them to access these service
(Panaretto et al., 2013). From years education is being considered as one of the most important
element to remove the traditional barrier in the community.
In addition to this, this health community agency also focuses on one of the most
important elements of the health service system which is a staff which is offering their service
(Frey et al., 2015). This health community agency pays special attention that the staff display the
same language and cultural aspects related to the area which has to be covered in order to
establish a healthy relationship in their service.

INTRODUCTION TO COMMUNITY SERVICE 4
Conclusion
Developing of the country does not mean that people are also developing in terms of
money and health care. Even, developed country like Australia consists of areas which are under
the poverty line. These areas are continuously struggling with basic infrastructures such as
transportation and health services. In this, situation, mobile health community service offers
great help in terms of offering their high-quality health service at their door by eliminating
transportation element in the system.

INTRODUCTION TO COMMUNITY SERVICE 5
References
Frey, R., Boyd, M., Foster, S., Robinson, J., & Gott, M. (2015). Burnout matters: The impact on
residential aged care staffs’ willingness to undertake formal palliative care
training. Progress in Palliative Care, 23(2), 68-74.
Heath, S. (2018). How Do Mobile Health Clinics Impact Patient Access to Care? [online].
Retrieved from: https://patientengagementhit.com/news/how-do-mobile-health-clinics-
impact-patient-access-to-care
Jacobs, B., Ir, P., Bigdeli, M., Annear, P. L., & Van Damme, W. (2011). Addressing access
barriers to health services: an analytical framework for selecting appropriate interventions
in low-income Asian countries. Health policy and planning, 27(4), 288-300.
Mahmood, M. A., Raulli, A., Yan, W., Dong, H., Aiguo, Z., & Ping, D. (2015). Cooperative
medical insurance and the cost of care in Shandong, PR China: perspectives of patients
and community members. Asia Pacific Journal of Public Health, 27(2), 897-902.
Panaretto, K. S., Gardner, K. L., Button, S., Carson, A., Schibasaki, R., Wason, G., ... &
Wenitong, M. (2013). Prevention and management of chronic disease in Aboriginal and
Islander Community Controlled Health Services in Queensland: a quality improvement
study assessing change in selected clinical performance indicators over time in a cohort
of services. BMJ open, 3(4), 002083.
Plough, A., Fielding, J. E., Chandra, A., Williams, M., Eisenman, D., Wells, K. B., & Magaña,
A. (2013). Building community disaster resilience: perspectives from a large urban
county department of public health. American journal of public health, 103(7), 1190-
1197.
Ramirez, V., Johnson, E., Gonzalez, C., Ramirez, V., Rubino, B., & Rossetti, G. (2016).
Assessing the use of mobile health technology by patients: an observational study in
primary care clinics. JMIR mHealth and uHealth, 4(2), 41.
Seabrook, L., McAlpine, C., Baxter, G., Rhodes, J., Bradley, A., & Lunney, D. (2011). Drought-
driven change in wildlife distribution and numbers: a case study of koalas in south west
Queensland. Wildlife Research, 38(6), 509-524.

INTRODUCTION TO COMMUNITY SERVICE 6