{"id":26910,"date":"2026-03-13T08:28:24","date_gmt":"2026-03-13T15:28:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/?p=26910"},"modified":"2026-03-13T08:28:26","modified_gmt":"2026-03-13T15:28:26","slug":"older-patients-willing-to-travel-longer-than-expected-for-health-care","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/older-patients-willing-to-travel-longer-than-expected-for-health-care\/","title":{"rendered":"How far will seniors go for a doctor visit? Often much farther than expected"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n    \n                                          \n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--article-hero \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--article-hero\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n<div class=\"inner-wrapper\">\n          \n<div class=\"f--field f--image\">\n\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n              \n      <img\n                            data-src=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/03\/cesr-health-care-travel-top-768x432.jpg\"\n          data-srcset=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/03\/cesr-health-care-travel-top-1920x1080.jpg 1920w,https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/03\/cesr-health-care-travel-top-1280x720.jpg 1280w,https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/03\/cesr-health-care-travel-top-768x432.jpg 768w\"          data-sizes=\"(min-width:1200px) 75vw, (min-width:768px) 83vw, 100vw\"          class=\"lazyload\"\n        \n                  alt=\"A clinical professional helps an elderly man into a car\"\n        \n        \n                                      \/>\n\n    \n    \n  \n  \n\n<\/div>\n  \n      <div class=\"image-caption\">\n          \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  A USC Dornsife study finds that many Americans age 65 and older are willing to travel more than an hour for health care. (Image source: iStock.)\n\n\n<\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  \n  <div class=\"text-wrapper\">\n          <nav aria-label=\"Breadcrumb\" class=\"breadcrumbs\">\n        <ul>\n                      <li><a href=\"\/news\/stories\/\">News<\/a><\/li>\n                      <li><a href=\"\/news\/stories\/\/?category=health\">Health<\/a><\/li>\n                  <\/ul>\n      <\/nav>\n    \n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--page-title\">\n\n    \n  <h1>How far will seniors go for a doctor visit? Often much farther than expected<\/h1>\n\n\n<\/div>\n    \n          <div class=\"subtitle\">\n            \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  USC Dornsife researchers find willingness to travel for health care varies by income, mobility and location \u2014 insights that could impact the growth of telehealth as well as transportation planning.\n\n\n<\/div>\n      <\/div>\n    \n           <strong class=\"author-field\"><span >By<\/span><a href=\"mailto:communication@dornsife.usc.edu\">USC Dornsife News<\/a><\/strong>\n    \n          <span class=\"post-date-field\">March 13, 2026<\/span>\n      <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--social-share \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--social-share\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n  <div class=\"content-wrapper\">\n    <span class=\"a2a_kit a2a_kit_size_32 addtoany_list\" style=\"line-height: 32px;\">\n      <span class=\"title\">\n  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fill-rule=\"evenodd\" \/>\n              <\/svg>\n            <\/span>\n            <span class=\"a2a_label visually-hidden\">Bluesky<\/span>\n          <\/a>\n                                <a class=\"a2a_button_email\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/#email\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"E-mail\">\n            <span class=\"a2a_svg a2a_s__default a2a_s_print\">\n              <svg height=\"12\" viewBox=\"0 0 18 12\" width=\"18\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"m8.14285714 9.42857143c-.17142857 0-.34285714 0-.51428571.08571428l7.28571427 6.34285719c.3428572.2571428.6857143.2571428.9428572 0l7.2857142-6.34285719c-.0857142-.08571428-.2571428-.08571428-.4285714-.08571428zm-1.28571428 1.11428567v.1714286 8.5714286c0 .6857143.6 1.2857143 1.28571428 1.2857143h14.57142856c.6857143 0 1.2857143-.6 1.2857143-1.2857143v-8.5714286c0-.0857143 0-.0857143 0-.1714286l-7.2 6.3428572c-.7714286.6857143-1.8857143.6857143-2.6571429 0z\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\" transform=\"translate(-6 -9)\"\/><\/svg>\n            <\/span>\n            <span class=\"a2a_label visually-hidden\">Email<\/span>\n          <\/a>\n                  <\/span>\n  <\/div>\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n \n\n\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--rich-text \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--rich-text\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n      \n<div class=\"f--field f--wysiwyg\">\n\n    \n  <p>Older Americans are willing to travel far for medical care \u2014 sometimes much farther than policymakers and experts assume, according to researchers at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Why it matters:<\/strong> As hospitals close in some areas, practices consolidate and telehealth expands, older adults may tolerate long trips for care \u2014 but not equally. The study suggests socioeconomic status affects willingness to travel.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What\u2019s new: <\/strong>A <a href=\"https:\/\/jamanetwork.com\/journals\/jamanetworkopen\/fullarticle\/2845337\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">study<\/a> published recently in <em>JAMA Network Open<\/em> finds that many Americans age 65 and older are willing to travel more than an hour for routine or specialized medical care.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What happened: <\/strong>Researchers at the USC Dornsife <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/cesr\/\">Center for Economic and Social Research<\/a> (CESR) surveyed a nationally representative group of older adults.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Questions centered on how long respondents currently travel for care and how much farther they would be willing to go before deciding to delay or skip an appointment.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Results: <\/strong>On average, respondents would tolerate about an hour or more of travel time, particularly for specialty care.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_26911\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-26911\" style=\"width: 500px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-26911\" src=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/03\/cesr-health-care-travel-in-story-500x337.jpg\" alt=\"Older woman holds a prescription medication container and speaks with a clinician through video on a smart phone\" width=\"500\" height=\"337\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/03\/cesr-health-care-travel-in-story-500x337.jpg 500w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/03\/cesr-health-care-travel-in-story-768x517.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/03\/cesr-health-care-travel-in-story.jpg 980w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-26911\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Growth of telehealth may be impacted by how willing patients are to take long trips for in-person care versus receiving remote clinical care. (Image source: iStock.)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<ul>\n<li>For primary care visits, they would travel 68 minutes.<\/li>\n<li>For a diagnostic test, such as an MRI, 113 minutes.<\/li>\n<li>For a specialist visit, 128 minutes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>What they\u2019re saying: <\/strong>\u201cThis shows older adults place a high value on access to care,\u201d said <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/cesr\/profile\/soeren-mattke\/\">Soeren Mattke<\/a>, professor (research) of economics, director of the <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/cesr\/centers-and-programs\/bho\/\">Brain Health Observatory<\/a> at CESR and study senior author. \u201cThey are often willing to travel significant distances before delaying or forgoing care.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Yes, but:<\/strong> The averages mask important differences.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Older adults in poorer health, those living in large metropolitan areas and those who had previously struggled with transportation were less willing to travel long durations.<\/li>\n<li>In contrast, those with higher incomes, more education and reliable access to a car reported greater willingness to spend more time traveling.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Study first author <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/cesr\/profile\/jeremy-burke\/\">Jeremy Burke<\/a>, senior economist at CESR, said those gaps matter for health equity.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\u201cIf someone is already dealing with health challenges or transportation barriers, even modest increases in travel time can become a real obstacle,\u201d Burke said. \u201cThose are the patients most at risk of delaying care.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>The big picture:<\/strong> Health systems are consolidating, with some services moving into regional hubs rather than neighborhood clinics. Policymakers often debate how far is \u201ctoo far\u201d for patients to travel, especially for older adults.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>This study suggests that distance alone isn\u2019t the full story. The type of visit, transportation options and personal resources all shape decisions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The findings also have implications for telehealth.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Virtual visits can reduce travel burdens, but they may not fully replace in-person care, especially for diagnostic tests or specialist consultations that require equipment or physical exams.<\/li>\n<li>\u201cTelehealth is an important tool, but it\u2019s not a cure-all,\u201d Mattke said. \u201cWe still need to think carefully about where services are located and how patients physically get there.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>What else? <\/strong>Transportation policy plays a role, too. Programs that offer ride services, improved public transit or partnerships with community organizations could make a meaningful difference for vulnerable seniors.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Between the lines:<\/strong> Older adults living in big cities were less willing to travel long durations.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>This might boil down to traffic, parking and other travel complexities, which make even short drives feel burdensome.<\/li>\n<li>But rural residents, who often already travel long distances for care, appeared more accepting of extended trips.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Bottom line:<\/strong> Many older Americans are willing to travel surprisingly long distances for medical care \u2014 but willingness depends on health, resources and access to transportation.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>As care delivery models evolve, understanding those differences may help health systems and policymakers design services that better match patients\u2019 needs and circumstances.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>About the study<\/h2>\n<p>The findings are based on data from the <a href=\"https:\/\/uasdata.usc.edu\/index.php\">Understanding America Study<\/a>, a nationally representative internet panel administered by CESR. For this study, researchers surveyed a representative sample of 2,650 adults age 65 or older between April 23 and June 8, 2025, about their willingness to travel for primary care, specialty care and one-time diagnostic appointments.<\/p>\n<p>In addition to Mattke and Burke, authors on the study include USC Dornsife researchers Tabasa Ozawa, Ying Liu and Wei Ye, all from the USC Brain Health Observatory based at USC Dornsife.<\/p>\n<p>The study was funded by National Institute on Aging grants 1R01AG083189 and 1U01AG077280.<\/p>\n<p><em>Editor\u2019s Note: Darrin S. Joy contributed to this article.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n  \n        \n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--article-related-stories \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--article-related-stories\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n  <div class=\"inner-wrapper\">\n    \n                  <article>\n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--cta-title\">\n\n    \n  <h3>\n          <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/alumnus-george-stiffman-wants-you-to-rethink-tofu\/\" \n                        class=\"\" \n      >Alumnus George Stiffman wants you to rethink tofu<\/a>\n      <\/h3>\n\n\n<\/div>\n        <\/article>\n              <article>\n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--cta-title\">\n\n    \n  <h3>\n          <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/computational-linguistics-student-finds-love-of-language-and-ai-safety-at-usc-dornsife\/\" \n                        class=\"\" \n      >Love of language and community \u2014 and AI safety \u2014 fuel graduating senior\u2019s USC Dornsife experience<\/a>\n      <\/h3>\n\n\n<\/div>\n        <\/article>\n              <article>\n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--cta-title\">\n\n    \n  <h3>\n          <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/dad-brain-is-real-its-reshaping-our-understanding-of-fatherhood\/\" \n                        class=\"\" \n      >\u2018Dad brain\u2019 is real. It\u2019s reshaping our understanding of fatherhood.\u00a0<\/a>\n      <\/h3>\n\n\n<\/div>\n        <\/article>\n            <\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>USC Dornsife researchers find willingness to travel for health care varies by income, mobility and location \u2014 insights that could impact the growth of telehealth as well as transportation planning.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":26912,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[26,24],"tags":[64,60,95,59],"class_list":["post-26910","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health","category-social-impact","tag-center-for-economic-and-social-research","tag-research","tag-social-sciences","tag-understanding-america-study"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.1.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How far will seniors go for a doctor visit? Often much farther than expected<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"USC Dornsife study reveals factors that affect willingness to travel for care, gives insights that may impact telehealth and transit planning\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/older-patients-willing-to-travel-longer-than-expected-for-health-care\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How far will seniors go to see a doctor? 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