The current pandemic has affected the lives of all Americans. Rural communities are particularly vulnerable because of a lack of mobility services and the great distances individuals must travel for healthcare and other needs. Nearly five million veterans live in rural communities, representing 57% of Veterans Administration (VA) health care enrollees (MOAA 2020). COVID-19 cases and deaths among rural veterans have increased at a faster rate compared to veterans in urban areas according to Johns Hopkins University (2020). They also found that delayed COVID-19 testing contributed to a higher rate of cases in rural areas compared to urban areas. The primary objective of this research was to identify veterans affected by COVID-19 who live in rural areas and have mobility needs and to quantify the cost of transportation options for meeting these needs. Secondary objectives included analyzing the role of telehealth and how the pandemic has affected mobility and isolation among veterans in rural America. Survey results of 150 military veterans showed that many veterans have experienced considerable change due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The primary objective of this research was to identify veterans affected by COVID-19 who have mobility needs and who live in rural areas and to quanti...
The primary objective of this research was to identify veterans affected by COVID-19 who have mobility needs and who live in rural areas and to quanti...
This research examines the many ways that public transportation affects health, with a focus on rural and small urban areas. First, a comprehensive li...
Links with this icon indicate that you are leaving a Bureau of Transportation
Statistics (BTS)/National Transportation Library (NTL)
Web-based service.
Thank you for visiting.
You are about to access a non-government link outside of
the U.S. Department of Transportation's National
Transportation Library.
Please note: While links to Web sites outside of DOT are
offered for your convenience, when you exit DOT Web sites,
Federal privacy policy and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation
Act (accessibility requirements) no longer apply. In
addition, DOT does not attest to the accuracy, relevance,
timeliness or completeness of information provided by linked
sites. Linking to a Web site does not constitute an
endorsement by DOT of the sponsors of the site or the
products presented on the site. For more information, please
view DOT's Web site linking policy.
To get back to the page you were previously viewing, click
your Cancel button.
United States Department of Transportation
[PDF-878.36 KB]
