What Medical Services Are Offered in Mobile Health Clinics?

Mobile health clinics have become increasingly popular in the last decade. Many hospitals have decided to expand their work and invest in a medical van for more accessible healthcare delivery. But what medical services are offered in mobile health clinics?

Depending on their resources, equipment and specialization, these clinics can provide various services to underserved communities. So, let’s discover more! 

Mobile medical clinics have revolutionized the way people access healthcare services. They can be equipped to provide numerous treatments, exams and screenings to communities in need.

What medical services are offered in mobile health clinics depends on their equipment. Most mobile health clinics tailor their services according to the demand in the serving area. So, the list of medical services offered in mobile medical coaches includes but is not limited to:

• Preventive and primary care
• Urgent care
• Mental health services
• Family planning and prenatal care
• Pediatric care
• Dental care
• Surgical procedures

Providing preventive care services and reducing the risk of future negative patient outcomes is often the main objective of mobile clinics. Shots and screenings are the two main preventive services mobile clinics offer.

Hence, what types of medical care do mobile health units provide? When it comes to prevention, they provide:

• Family care and counseling for a healthier lifestyle, including how to quit smoking, lose weight, fight addictions etc.
• Health screenings such as mammograms, colonoscopies, glucose tests, blood pressure screening and cholesterol tests,
• Vaccines, including flu shots, preschool vaccination, COVID-19, meningitis, measles, mumps, Hepatitis A and B, HPV, rubella, tetanus, varicella etc.

But are diagnostic services available in mobile health units? There are many mobile clinics equipped for diagnostics. Some of the basic diagnostic services mobile clinics can offer include blood draws, genetic tests, biopsies, strep, and flu tests.

Furthermore, mobile clinics can also do X-rays, MRIs, CT scans, PET scans or ultrasounds thanks to mobile medical equipment. Mobile clinics with such services can treat an existing problem, diagnose a new one, monitor and follow up.

Regarding urgent care as one of the services mobile clinics offer, there are two options. One is for the mobile coach to be located in communities where there is a need for such services because there is no hospital nearby. Another option is for the mobile clinic staff to provide care for patients who cannot leave their homes.

The benefits of mobile urgent care centers include more accessible emergency care for the communities and a reduced number of ambulance services. Mobile medical clinics of this kind offer only basic medical care, like injury treatments, cut suturing, wound care and similar.

Mobile health clinics can also offer family planning services and prenatal care. The spectrum of services regarding family planning typically includes counseling, reproductive health education, and access to emergency contraception methods.

There are also mobile health clinics that target expectant mothers. So, which healthcare services are available in medical coaches for prenatal care? Some of the services they can offer are:

• Pregnancy tests
• Prenatal and postpartum care
• Gynecological exams
• Holistic needs assessment
• Nutritional advice

Pediatric care is also a common work area for mobile health clinics. The services in this field of medicine range from physical exams and well-visits to immunization and health education. Hence, mobile clinics focusing on children and youth offer diverse screenings such as:

• Chronic conditions management
• Pre-kindergarten or preschool screenings
• Dental screenings
• Vision and hearing screenings
• Development screenings
• Blood testing

There are also mobile health clinics that offer social work services and can refer the patient and his family to a specialist. It happens often for a mobile coach to offer both pediatric and prenatal care.

Mobile clinics can also focus on providing communities in need with dental care. The mobile dental programs typically offer simple procedures like emergency dental services, restorations, extractions, cleanings and referrals. Additionally, mobile clinics can provide dental exams by using X-rays.

However, mobile dental clinics rarely include complex procedures in their service list. Some examples of such services are in oral surgery and making root canals.

Aside from treatments and procedures, mobile dental programs can offer administrative work. Some examples may include claims processing, medical records updating and appointment scheduling.

Mental health is one of the most sensitive services mobile clinics offer. Each mobile coach has their unique way of operating. Some benefits of addressing behavioral problems with the help of mobile clinics may include:

• Avoiding psychiatric hospitalization
• Linking healthcare facilities and people with suicidal tendencies
• Educating people about coping mechanisms
• Assistance with medication management
• Educating and raising awareness about the importance of mental health

Some mobile clinics are equipped with operating rooms and can perform various types of surgical treatments. Generally, mobile clinics are suitable for minor procedures. More often than not, that includes ophthalmology surgical procedures such as cataract removal and other simple eye-related treatments.

According to the data gathered from Mobile Health Map, these are the five most common services delivered by mobile clinics in the USA:

• Child immunization
• Blood pressure screening
• Obesity screening
• Flu shots
• Mental health and depression screening

Looking at the data on a state level, the top five services provided by mobile clinics change. For instance, in Missouri, most mobile clinics provide unhealthy alcohol use screening, mammography, Pap tests, Chlamydia, and cholesterol screenings.

California, one of the states with the most mobile clinics, primarily offers preventive services. These services include screenings for blood pressure, obesity, cholesterol, and unhealthy alcohol use.

Almost every mobile clinic has a specific target group. Most of them focus on serving the uninsured or patients facing financial hardship. Other populations commonly targeted by mobile clinics are:

• Homeless people
• Veterans
• LGBTQ+
• Low income
• Rural communities

Currently, mobile clinics can cover a wide array of medical services. However, there is still room for improvement. Mobile clinics might start incorporating advanced high-tech diagnostic tools in the future. This will expand the range of tests and screenings mobile clinics can provide.

Next, mobile clinics might continue following the steps of the few mobile clinics that utilize virtual consultations. Telemedicine integration can easily become a crucial part of providing remote populations with the necessary services.

Ultimately, mobile health clinics can take advantage of mobile technologies and expand their surgeries from minor to more complex procedures.

What medical services are offered in mobile health clinics? It generally depends on the community demand and equipment in the facility. Some of the most common services are preventive and primary care, emergency, prenatal and pediatric care, dental services, mental health and minor surgical procedures.

With such a wide range of services, mobile clinics are becoming pivotal factors in healthcare delivery. They bring essential services directly to the communities that need them the most.