Author Response: Patient Travel Distance to Neurologist Visits

Abstract

We appreciate and agree with the critical points raised by Calixte et al. regarding racial disparities in access to neurologic care. Our finding that Black patients travel shorter distances does not mean that Black patients have better access to neurologic care compared with White patients. 1 Transportation insecurity is one potential reason that travel distance might have been shorter for Black patients. Furthermore, we focused on travel distance, but other measures of access such as seeing an outpatient neurologist and referrals to subspecialists care were not studied and are also important. Addressing these disparities in access to neurologic care requires a multifaceted approach. Efforts to increase diversity in the health care workforce, reduce transportation barriers, improve outreach and education, and promote culturally sensitive care are essential to build trust between health care professionals and patients from different racial and ethnic backgrounds.1.