Replacing rural clinics with video visits
- Topic
- Equity and access
- Kind
- Policy and health systems
Prompt
A regional health authority plans to close two small clinics in rural towns, each staffed by a part-time physician, and replace them with video appointments. The money saved would hire three more physicians at the regional hospital. The authority says this would cut the wait for an appointment across the region from six weeks to three. Residents of the rural towns, many of them older adults, are protesting. They say their internet is unreliable, that some of them do not own a computer or smartphone, and that the nearest in-person clinic would be a 90-minute drive away. Should the authority go ahead with the plan? Explain your reasoning.
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After you practice: what this question tests and how to approach it
What this question tests
- Health systems and advocacy
- Critical thinking
- Ethical reasoning
How to approach this question
This MMI station tests whether you can weigh shorter waits for many people against reduced access for a vulnerable few, the classic tradeoff between efficiency and equity in a health system. Name both groups fairly: residents across the region who would wait half as long, and older rural residents facing unreliable internet, no devices and a 90-minute drive. Ask what you'd want to know, such as how many people rely on these clinics and what share of their care could work by video. Consider partial options, such as keeping one clinic, rotating in-person days, or helping residents get online. Take a clear position on whether the plan should go ahead, and on what conditions. If the station offers a compromise, weigh it against the residents' actual concerns, including privacy.
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