A Geodemographic Analysis of Travel Time to Uveitis Specialists in the United States

PURPOSE: Travel time to a patient's medical provider represents a significant component of access to care. We examined travel time to the nearest uveitis specialist for the American population and characterize its impact on access to uveitis care. DESIGN: Observational studies using the American Community Survey and American Census Bureau population estimates. METHODS: Addresses of fellowship-trained uveitis specialists were collected from the American Uveitis Society (AUS) and the Ocular Immunology and Uveitis Foundation (OIUF) websites and geocoded using ArcGIS Pro 2.9. Service areas were defined as all locations within a 60-min drive time from each specialist's location. Demographic and population data for total population, racial groups, household poverty levels, population in dependent groups (younger than 18, older than 65), and health insurance status were overlaid. Data were aggregated for census tracts within and outside service areas and compared using chi-square analysis. Main Outcome Measures: Differences in population demographics for people within and outside service area coverage. CONCLUSIONS: Our analysis shows a significant travel burden to the nearest uveitis specialist for a large proportion of Americans. More providers are needed in rural areas, as patients there are more likely to live under the poverty line, be uninsured, or belong to a dependent age group.