Perceptions of access to care after a rural hospital closure in an economically distressed county of Appalachian Tennessee

Purpose: The rise in rural hospital closures has sparked concern about the potential loss of essential health care services for rural communities. It is crucial to incorporate the perspectives of community residents, which have been largely missing from the literature, when devising strategies to improve health care for this population. The purpose of this study was to describe community residents’ perceptions of access to care following a rural hospital closure in an economically distressed Appalachian county of Tennessee. Methods: This study used a qualitative descriptive approach to illustrate how community residents perceive accessing care post hospital closure. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 24 community residents via telephone in May through August of 2020. Interviews were analyzed using conventional content analysis. Findings: Five themes were identified based on Penchansky and Thomas’ framework of health care: accessibility, availability, affordability, accommodation, and acceptability. Accessibility was identified as the most common concern among participants. Specifically, participants perceived longer travel times to receive care, reduced availability of emergency and specialty care, increased costs associated with ambulance services, and extended wait times to see providers. Conclusions: Our findings provide a critical perspective to inform local leaders and policymakers on the impacts of a hospital closure in a rural community. As rural hospitals continue to close, it is crucial to develop multi-level, community-driven solutions to ensure access to care for rural communities.