Purpose: Nearly one-fifth of Americans live in rural areas and experience multiple socioeconomic and health disparities. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)-funded health centers (HCs) provide comprehensive primary care in rural communities. However, no prior research has examined trends in access to care in rural HC patients. We examined the change in access to care among patients served at rural HRSA-funded HCs in the United States between 2009 and 2014.

Methods: We compared patients by year to examine measures of access using multilevel generalized structural equation logistic regression models with random effects. We used the 2009 and 2014 cross-sectional Health Center Patient Surveys and identified 2,625 adult rural HC patients. Dependent variables were subjective (unmet need/delay in medical care, mental health, dental care, and prescription medications) and objective measures (preventive care and other health care utilization) in access to care. Our independent variable of interest was time, comparing access in 2009 and 2014.

Results: Rural HC patients reported higher predicted probability of influenza vaccine receipt (37% vs 51%), and lower unmet (25% vs 14%) and delayed medical care (36% vs 18%) between 2009 and 2014. Any emergency department visits in the last year increased (32% vs 46%) and mammogram (70% vs 55%) and Pap test (83% vs 72%) screening rates decreased.

Conclusions: Observed increases in access to care among rural HC patients are positive developments but the challenges to access care still persist. Remote services, such as telehealth, could be cost-effective means of improving access to care among rural patients with limited provider supply.