This national US survey asked 2,650 adults aged 65 and over how far and for how long they would actually travel for medical care before delaying or skipping an appointment altogether, covering primary care, specialist care and diagnostic appointments.
What was studied?
Respondents reported their willingness to travel across different care types, and researchers analysed how this varied by income, education, health status and whether they lived in a city or a more rural area.
What did they find?
Median willingness to travel was 68 minutes for primary care, 128 minutes for specialist care and 113 minutes for a one-time diagnostic appointment. Over 60 percent said they would travel at least an hour for primary care, and higher income and education were linked to greater willingness.
Why it matters
For older patients weighing up whether it is worth travelling further for the right care, this is genuinely reassuring: most are willing to travel considerably further than commonly assumed, especially for specialist or one-off appointments.
Why we included it
It illustrates a wider point about access to care: patients, including older people, place real value on reaching the right provider, rather than simply defaulting to whichever one happens to be nearest.
Help us improve your experience (and hopefully your back).
We use cookies to improve the website and show relevant content to people interested in our services.
We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions. You can choose which categories to allow below. Cookies categorised as Necessary are always active.
We also use third-party cookies for analytics and advertising. These are only stored with your consent. You can update or withdraw consent at any time via the cookie icon at the bottom-left. This site operates under UK GDPR, the Data Protection Act 2018, and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR). Cookie Policy • Privacy Policy
Always Active
Necessary cookies are required for core site features including security, network management, and consent storage.
Cookie
Duration
Description
hmdg_cookie_consent
180 days
Stores your cookie consent preferences.
PHPSESSID
Session
WordPress session identifier.
wordpress_logged_in_*
Session
WordPress login authentication.
Functional cookies enable enhanced features such as live chat and remembering preferences.
Cookie
Duration
Description
wp-settings-*
1 year
Stores user interface preferences.
Analytics cookies help us understand visitor behaviour. Controls analytics_storage for Google Analytics 4.
Cookie
Duration
Description
_ga
2 years
Google Analytics — distinguishes users.
_ga_*
2 years
Google Analytics 4 — session persistence.
_gid
24 hours
Google Analytics — distinguishes users.
_gat
1 minute
Google Analytics — throttles request rate.
Performance cookies collect aggregate, anonymous data about site performance.
Cookie
Duration
Description
_gat_gtag_*
1 minute
Google Tag Manager — rate throttle.
Marketing cookies track visits to deliver relevant ads. Controls ad_storage, ad_user_data, and ad_personalization.
What was studied?
Respondents reported their willingness to travel across different care types, and researchers analysed how this varied by income, education, health status and whether they lived in a city or a more rural area.
What did they find?
Median willingness to travel was 68 minutes for primary care, 128 minutes for specialist care and 113 minutes for a one-time diagnostic appointment. Over 60 percent said they would travel at least an hour for primary care, and higher income and education were linked to greater willingness.
Why it matters
For older patients weighing up whether it is worth travelling further for the right care, this is genuinely reassuring: most are willing to travel considerably further than commonly assumed, especially for specialist or one-off appointments.
Why we included it
It illustrates a wider point about access to care: patients, including older people, place real value on reaching the right provider, rather than simply defaulting to whichever one happens to be nearest.