Background: Travel burden is a key element in conceptualizing geographic access to health care. Prior research has shown that both rural and minority populations bear disproportionate travel burdens. However, many studies are limited to specific types of patient or specific locales. The purpose of our study was to quantify geographic and race-based differences in distance traveled and time spent in travel for medical/dental care using representative national data.

TF-CAT is a feasible, time-intensive method to measure tobacco-free policy compliance.

An efficacy-enhancing message card campaign shows promise in improving compliance with tobacco-free campus policies.

These results show present and widening workforce disparities in rural and socioeconomically depressed counties in Kentucky. Understanding the geographic distribution of dentists and the socioeconomic correlates of their practice locations may inform workforce development and reimbursement policies for the goal of improving access to oral health care in these areas.

Telehealth patients experienced significant reduction in travel times and distances. Patients/families would accept an increased burden of spatial accessibility in exchange for reduced burdens in other aspects of access, such as accommodation or acceptability when engaging telehealth services. Using a road network-based method is more accurate than previously used straight-line methods in calculating distance impedance.