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According to an independent study conducted by researchers at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, providing seniors with access to Lyft's on-demand carpool services not only facilitates access to medical appointments but also reduces their social isolation and improves their quality of life and published last week in the Journal of Mobile Health.
"Access to transportation is more than going from point A to point B, it encompasses many facets of human life," said in a statement. Dr. Leslie Saxon, executive director of the Center for Body Computing of the University and senior researcher of the study. "This research shows how carpool platforms can make a significant difference to the well-being of older people, empowering them to become active participants in their own care as well as in other areas of care. their life."
TOPLINE DATA
The study included 150 participants with chronic disease and an average age of 72 years. Two in five reported living alone, and few said they used ridesharing services regularly because of their cost, lack of awareness, and discomfort.
Over a period of three months, 93% of the cohort ordered a ride. The Lyft mobile app was used by 86% of attendees and the call service by 16%. Participants ordered an average of 69 rides per person, at an average cost of $ 21.72.
Physician appointments accounted for almost one-third of seniors' driving destinations, with the rest consisting of shopping, entertainment and social activities. More often than not, these participants reported that they used the services as their primary means of transportation to get to their medical appointments and social events. Saxon and his colleagues noted no significant changes in participants' daily activity among participants.
As a result of the study, 92% of participants said that access to unlimited journeys improves their quality of daily life; However, researchers found no significant change in the scores of validated tools measuring satisfaction with life and geriatric depression. More than four-fifths of participants indicated that they would continue to use carpooling, with others citing cost as the main obstacle.
HOW IT HAS BEEN DONE
Researchers recruited study participants from among those receiving care at Keck Medicine of USC. To be eligible, patients must be 60 years of age or older, have a chronic illness, live in or around Los Angeles County, and report an impediment to transportation, but still be able to enter or exit the vehicle by their own means.
Participants received personalized training on using the Lyft app or a phone call service. All trips made during the three-month period were provided free of charge to seniors and there were no restrictions on the number of orders that could be ordered. Participants recorded their daily activities on a provided Fitbit laptop and completed questionnaires before and after the study – although the researchers found that they had not been able to follow 47 participants for a variety of reasons.
WHAT IS THE HISTORY
Lyft and other transportation networks have recently made progress in the health sector non-urgent medical transportation agreements with suppliers and paying agencies. End of June, for example, the carpool company received approval as a Medicaid provider in Arizona and in February cut offers with Blue Cross Blue Shield, Humana and Logisticare, while bringing an important extension to its platform. Meanwhile, Roundtrip has raised $ 5.1 million in a Series A just a few months ago for its own health care transportation network.
IN CONCLUSION
"The results of the study show a strong adoption of networked transportation by an elderly population suffering from chronic diseases and resulting from transportation, easier access to health care, social engagement increased and an improvement in the subjective quality of daily life, "Saxon and colleagues wrote in the study. "These findings confirm that patients had the necessary health resources, ie, established medical care and socialization opportunities, while transportation was a significant barrier to accessibility."
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