Expanding Reach of Specialized Healthcare Services with Mobile Medical Vehicles 

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Looking to take your healthcare to the people?

Mobile medical vehicles are revolutionizing the way patients access specialized healthcare services. Specialized mobile units are rolling into communities that would otherwise lack critical resources.

And here’s the kicker…

Demand for mobile medical units has never been higher. From provider shortages in rural communities to tens of millions of Americans who lack access to basic care, mobile medical vehicles are stepping into the breach.

Let’s get into:

• Why Mobile Medical Vehicles Matter Now
• The Growing Demand for Mobile Healthcare Services
• Types of Mobile Medical Vehicles
• Key Benefits of Mobile Healthcare Delivery
• Getting Started with Mobile Medical Services

Why Mobile Medical Vehicles Matter Now

Mobile medical vehicles services have become a critical component of community healthcare infrastructure across the US. These are not just converted vans or buses – they are state of the art medical facilities on wheels.

Imagine this…

A patient living in a rural town has a condition that requires them to see a specialist. Traveling to a nearby city for that appointment might mean hours in the car.

But what if they could get quality care in their own community? That is where a mobile medical vehicle can step in and change lives.

Organizations that want to expand their healthcare reach should explore mobile clinics for sale to find existing vehicles that fit their service requirements. The right mobile medical vehicle from Craftsmen Industries can deliver primary care services, dental care, mammography screenings, and more.

The potential to do so much good is just amazing.

The Growing Demand for Mobile Healthcare Services

If you want to see just how much demand there is for mobile medical vehicles, take a look at the numbers.

Harvard Medical School reports that there are around 3,000 mobile clinics across the US providing 10 million patient visits every year. And that number is only going to get bigger.

How’s that possible? Simple: healthcare infrastructure in its traditional form can only reach so far. Rural communities in particular struggle to access medical care because of:

• Provider shortages – Over 2/3 of primary care shortage areas are in rural regions.
• Distance to care – Patients might have to travel 20+ miles just to receive basic services.
• Financial barriers – Many rural patients are uninsured or face prohibitive costs for transportation and care.

Mobile medical vehicles are one of the best solutions to all of these issues. They are an effective way to bypass geographic and financial barriers to access and provide needed care directly to patients. The great thing is there is no reason for patients to make long drives, wait weeks for appointments, or face other traditional access challenges when mobile units can serve them right where they live.

Types of Mobile Medical Vehicles

Mobile medical vehicles services take a variety of forms to meet different types of healthcare delivery needs.

Mobile Medical Vans

Smaller and more manoeuvrable than the other vehicle types, mobile medical vans have the great benefit of mobility. This makes them work well in both urban areas with limited parking/traffic and rural areas with less robust infrastructure.

Vans can be customized for things like primary care, dental care, and preventive screenings. It’s not surprising that they are a popular starting point for healthcare organizations just launching mobile services.

Mobile Medical Buses

Mobile medical buses are the big trucks of the mobile healthcare world. They have room to set up multiple examination areas, waiting rooms, and even in-unit labs.

Mobile medical buses are the ideal mobile medical vehicles to consider when planning a comprehensive screening or vaccination event. They are usually configured with multiple exam rooms, so they can serve a higher volume of patients per day than vans.

Mobile Medical Trailers

Mobile medical trailers can be towed to a location and left there for days or weeks at a time. This can be a real win for building a temporary clinic.

Organizations can use these trailers to create ongoing service points without requiring a permanent space. This type of mobile medical vehicle works really well for communities that need sustained access to services.

Key Benefits of Mobile Healthcare Delivery

Mobile medical vehicles can help healthcare organizations realize a number of important benefits beyond simple accessibility.

Reaching Underserved Populations

Mobile medical vehicles serve a big slice of some of the most medically underserved populations. In fact, over 50% of mobile clinic clients are women and racial/ethnic minorities. Patients served by mobile clinics are disproportionately uninsured and using public insurance programs.

These are the people who face the highest barriers to access traditional brick and mortar healthcare. By taking the healthcare system to them, mobile medical units are eradicating the access gap entirely.

Cost Savings for the Healthcare System

Fun fact about mobile clinics…

Each mobile clinic unit saves the healthcare system a ton of money by helping to cut down on emergency room visits and hospitalizations. This is because mobile units allow patients to get regular checkups and preventive screenings.

Early detection of disease equals less costly treatment and fewer emergencies. And that adds up to better outcomes for everyone.

Flexibility and Adaptability

Mobile medical vehicles can be rapidly deployed to places that need them most. During the pandemic, mobile units played a critical role in testing and vaccination efforts.

Mobile medical units can also be rotated to meet the changing needs of the population throughout the year. A single mobile unit can be a flu vaccination clinic in the autumn and a skin cancer screening clinic in the summer.

Building Trust in Communities

One of the most underappreciated things that mobile clinics do is foster a sense of trust in the communities they serve. People get to know the providers when mobile clinics visit on a regular basis.

When there is trust, there are better health outcomes. Research shows patients are more likely to follow through with treatment recommendations and return for care when they feel a connection to the people providing it.

Getting Started with Mobile Medical Services

Are you thinking about getting into mobile medical vehicles? Here are the basic things to consider before diving in.

Define the Services

Before you can hit the road with a mobile medical vehicle, you have to decide what services it will provide. Primary care looks different than dental care, which is different than mammography screenings.

Identifying the community’s needs is a great place to start.

Choose the Right Vehicle

Once you know what services the mobile unit needs to provide, the vehicle can be selected. This might mean a small van for basic screenings/vaccinations or a large bus for a suite of services.

Plan the Routes

Where is the mobile unit going to go? Will it rotate between set locations or offer “pop up” events in different communities? The best programs have a set of regular stops and advertise those dates.

Staff Appropriately

It is vital to have the right team onboard for a mobile unit. These people need to be qualified healthcare professionals that are comfortable with working in more flexible environments.

Wrapping Things Up

Mobile medical vehicles are a critical element of healthcare delivery for millions of Americans. They deliver essential services to communities that would otherwise struggle to access care.

The benefits of mobile healthcare delivery are not hard to see:

• It provides improved access for medically underserved populations.
• It saves money on emergency care and hospitalizations.
• It is a flexible model that can meet shifting community needs.
• It builds trust between patients and healthcare providers.

Mobile medical vehicles should be at the top of the list for healthcare organizations who want to expand their reach and bridge the gap between patients and the care that they need.

The need is only going to increase. The fact of the matter is there are going to be ongoing healthcare provider shortages for the foreseeable future, and healthcare access barriers aren’t going away anytime soon.

That means that mobile medical vehicles are going to only become more important and more in demand in the coming years.

The good news for patients, the good news for communities, and the good news for healthcare: mobile medical vehicles are here to stay.