One of the biggest challenges healthcare has to deal with is how to treat sick people who cannot make it to the hospital or clinic. It is a difficult challenge to overcome as those in charge of healthcare do not who is sick, how many are in need of care or where they are located.
These people are considered the most vulnerable as it can be extremely difficult to treat them. Often they live in very rural communities or off the beaten path making it difficult for them to be transported to the hospital.
The solution so far has been to implement a mobile medical office and treatment center.
What are mobile treatment centers used for?
These mobile treatment centers will also double as medical offices, but their primary purpose is to get to the people where they are and provide top-quality medical treatment.
This is the answer to the challenge of treating people who for whatever reason cannot make it to the nearest hospital. They are for those who have not been able to overcome the following barriers:
- lack of reliable transportation
- financial concerns regarding healthcare
- little or no health insurance
- limited healthcare providers in the area
- language or cultural barriers
These mobile treatment centers reflect what Mahatma Gandhi said, ‘If the mountain won’t come to Mahatma, then Mahatma will go to the mountain.’ This is what many healthcare professionals are doing.
The mountain of sick people can’t make it to the hospital, so the hospital makes it to the mountain of sick people. It is one of the best ways to treat those who are unable to travel.
Types of treatment provided by mobile treatment centers
These mobile healthcare units are equipped to handle a variety of medical needs. The majority of treatment is for primary and preventive care but these mobile units are equipped to handle other areas of healthcare.
Plus, the doctors and nurses staffing these units are trained to handle all levels of care within reason. There will be limitations to the degree of care that can be given. Some cases can only be treated by hospitals.
Here are some other areas of healthcare these mobile units provide:
- urgent care
- pediatric care
- mental health services
- dental care
- hearing and vision services
- management of chronic health conditions
The level of healthcare received will depend on the severity of the illness and often the people staffing these mobile units need to refer their patients to brick-and-mortar clinics and hospitals in order for the patient to receive proper care.
The types of mobile medical offices and treatment centers
Currently there are 4 types of these mobile clinics that are in operation at this time. Which one you would use will depend on the nature of your illness and residential location:
#1. Mobile Outreach Van
These vans are said to be a part of the community they treat as they have a large presence. You should see these vans in large parking lots, at fairs, or at other events.
One of the purposes of these vans is to help overcome the fear many people have of medical professionals. While they do treat non-major health issues, they also help with housing, overdose prevention, referral services, and more.
They can also be used to distribute food, clothing, and other needed supplies during natural disasters. That duty is also carried out in very rural locations as well.
#2. Mobile Response Van
These vans are equipped similarly to the ambulances including having a stretcher inside. They are used for both a treatment center as well as act as an ambulance when the patient needs to be transported to the hospital.
However, those patients needing life-support equipment or critical care cannot be transported by this van. That is the limitation of this mobile treatment center.
On the brighter side, these vans can be used as an urgent care unit providing immediate medical attention to those who need it. These vans can also go to construction or other heavy labor sites to treat injured workers relieving the workload of the overworked emergency rooms.
#3. Mobile Clinic Van
This is the van that is considered a doctor’s office on wheels. Like a doctor’s office, they can provide private treatment for personal medical issues. The people who use this mobile treatment center option will fit into the above categories of reasons.
The patients often treated by this van include those who suffer from the following issues:
- Addictions treatment
- Mental health counseling
- Outreach services to homeless and vulnerable populations
- Foot care
- Home care nursing
- Sexual health programs
- Vaccinations
#4. Medical Overdose Prevention Van
Another name for this mobile treatment center is the Mobile Mitigation Van and its primary purpose is to offer supervised consumption services. It is supposed to be a safe place for medical professionals to monitor those with addictive habits and treat any medical issue that presents itself.
These vans provide a safe, clean, sterile environment one they would not get in parks, subway stations, abandoned buildings, and so on. The other purposes for this van are:
- Promote safe injecting practices
- Reduce needle sharing
- Prevent transmission of viruses and infections
- Prevent overdoses
These vans are usually used by behavioral health programs, mobile overdose prevention programs, and harm reduction programs. They are said to be able to save lives as the person with addictions is monitored and provided immediate medical care if a problem occurs.
Some additional words
Not everyone likes to go to a medical clinic let alone a large hospital. They are afraid they will fall between the cracks, receive inferior care, and so on. What these mobile medical offices and treatment centers do is help alleviate that fear.
Then they provide what medical treatment they can to help their many patients. Each type of mobile unit has its own distinct purpose and is equipped to meet those purposes.
They are a big step in meeting the challenge of providing medical care to those who cannot make it to a hospital.