U.S. study finds children relied less on urgent care with rural school-based health clinics

The study adds to evidence that school-based health centers - studied extensively in urban contexts - improve children’s healthcare and provide broader benefits to rural communities. Over 250 school-based health centers were established in rural regions of upstate N.Y. to improve the primary and preventive healthcare of children in low-income, high-risk communities. The study showed that:

• Students with access to clinics at school made two additional office visits per year;
• Students were significantly less likely to seek emergency care; and
• They were about 10 percentage points more likely to receive a routine checkup and an immunization.

They also missed less school, particularly in kindergarten and early elementary grades when caregivers might need to miss work to stay home with sick children. Basic access to care was found to be up in terms of the number of times children are seen, while attendance was higher and absenteeism was reduced.