African American veterans' experiences with mobile geriatric care

Abstract

To explore perspectives concerning use of a mobile geriatrics unit (MGU) by underserved populations in low-income urban neighborhoods, we recruited 18 elderly African American patients and engaged them in in-depth semistructured interviews. Using grounded theory techniques of constant comparative analysis, we found that most patients learned about the MGU from community members and initially visited it to determine whether it would be worth using in the future. In describing their MGU experiences, patients tended to focus on three main factors: quality of care, accessibility of services, and ambience of the care setting. They reported that the MGU allowed them to have their health conditions and medications monitored regularly and functioned as a central link to the larger Veterans Affairs health care system. The findings suggest that using MGUs is an acceptable and effective way to help medically underserved populations receive primary medical care and referrals to specialty care.