Why Healthcare Housing? 

When facing a health crisis or chronic condition, individuals and families can be forced to travel great distances to access the healthcare they need. The issue of distance to care arises between the complex interplay between individual health needs and regional healthcare resources compounded by political, economic, and legal systems. This challenge is particularly salient for those living in rural communities, who on average live between three and four times further from hospital-based care than those living in urban communities.i This is important, as distance itself can be associated with negative patient outcomes such as advanced stage at diagnosis, lower rates of patient compliance with treatment, inappropriate treatment, worse prognosis, and worse quality of life.ii The location of care is critical for healthcare access and health outcomes, and distance to care impacts individuals of all demographics, ages, and conditions. 
        
Access to healthcare at a distance is not simply a matter of an individual or family getting from point a to point b. Traveling for healthcare involves additional significant challenges such as time off work, arranging for caregiving or other life duties in their absence, and navigating insurance authorizations and referrals.[iii] Managing a health crisis outside of your home community often comes with an additional economic burden associated with travel including lodging, transportation and meal costs.iv The need for travel and impact on individuals and families is further is connected to multiple avenues of social determinants of health including health care access and quality, social and community context, and economic stability.v, vi, vii
   
Housing in close proximity to the hospital clearly matters, and we seek to call attention to this under-appreciated and critical aspect of healthcare delivery and access. Further understanding of this largely unstudied intervention could prove vital for improving health outcomes and promoting health equity for rural and underserved populations.

About the Healthcare Housing Lab

The Healthcare Housing Lab is committed to advancing understanding of healthcare housing as a crucial support for patients and caregivers who live in healthcare deserts or need to travel for medical care. Guided by our vision of a society where everyone, regardless of location, has the support and resources to access the healthcare they need, we conduct research to explore temporary housing's impact health outcomes. Our mission is to provide practical solutions and evidence-based insights that enhance healthcare access, reduce the stress associated with medical care, and promote health equity for diverse populations.
      
Our flagship initiative, the Healthcare Housing Navigator, exemplifies our commitment to human-centered, accessible resources. This comprehensive, user-friendly platform consolidates healthcare housing options into a single, searchable map, created in collaboration with the Healthcare Hospitality Network and an interprofessional team of students and volunteers. Designed to simplify the search for essential lodging during medical treatments, the Navigator empowers patients, caregivers, and healthcare providers with quick, reliable access to supportive housing across the United States. Our values seek to embody the University of Maryland, Baltimore’s core values of respect and integrity, well-being and sustainability, equity and justice, and innovation and discovery. By centering the lived experiences of patients and caregivers, fostering inclusive partnerships, and embracing bold challenges, we strive to advance UMB’s commitment to improving the human condition.
    
Through research, partnerships, and practical tools like the Healthcare Housing Navigator, the Healthcare Housing Lab is committed to creating pathways to equitable, person-centered care. Our work extends beyond mapping to encompass a comprehensive healthcare housing census, with findings currently under peer review. As we look toward the future, we remain dedicated to fostering an inclusive healthcare landscape that bridges the gap between housing and healthcare, ensuring that no patient or caregiver has to navigate these challenges alone.
      
References:

i Shabo V, Friedman H. Health, Work, and Care in Rural America: Distances to Hospital-Based and Skilled Nursing Care Make Paid Leave Critical for Rural Communities. New America. Published 2022.  https://www.newamerica.org/better-life-lab/reports/health-work-and-care-rural-america/
ii Ambroggi, M., Biasini, C., del Giovane, C., Fornari, F. & Cavanna, L. Distanceas a Barrier to CancerDiagnosis and Treatment: Review of the Literature.Oncologist20, 1378–85 (2015).
iii Rubin N, Franck L. (2018). Ronald McDonald House Charities is Keeping Families Close®: a Unique Role in Family-Centered Care.
iv Stiller, A.; Goodwin, B.C.; Crawford-Williams, F.; March, S.; Ireland, M.; Aitken, J.F.; Dunn, J.; Chambers, S.K. The Supportive Care Needs of Regional and Remote Cancer Caregivers. Current Oncology. 2021, 28, 3041–3057. https://doi.org/ 10.3390/curroncol28040266
v Borno HT, Zhang L, Zhang S, Lin TK, Skafel A, Nieves E, et al. Implementation of a multisite financial reimbursement program in cancer clinical trials integrated with patient navigation: A pilot randomized clinical trial. Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2022, 18:6, s915-e924 DOI: 10.1200/OP.21.00328
vi Stremler R, Dhukai Z, Wong L, et al. Factors influencing sleep for parents of critically ill hospitalized children: A qualitative analysis. Intensive Critical Care Nursing. 2011;27:3745.
vii “Housing And Health: An Overview Of The Literature, " Health Affairs Health Policy Brief, June 7, 2018.DOI: 10.1377/hpb20180313.396577