A regional health authority plans to introduce mobile vaccination units to rural districts in order to increase overall regional vaccination rates. The authority reasons that because low vaccination rates in these districts are primarily caused by the long distance residents must travel to fixed clinics, bringing mobile clinics directly to rural towns will significantly raise regional vaccination coverage.
Which of the following statements represent necessary assumptions upon which the health authority's reasoning depends? Select all that apply.
- Residents in rural districts who refrain from vaccination because of travel distances will choose to utilize the mobile units when they become available locally.Answer
- BMobile vaccination units provide a higher quality of overall medical care than fixed rural clinics.
- The deployment of mobile vaccination units will not lead to a reduction in the services or capacity of existing fixed clinics.Answer
- DRural districts currently exhibit lower overall rates of preventable infectious diseases than urban districts.
- EMobile vaccination units are significantly cheaper to operate per patient than building new permanent clinics.
Answer
The argument depends on assuming that distance-constrained rural residents will actually use the mobile units and that deploying these units will not diminish existing clinic services.
The correct statements are necessary for the conclusion to hold. First, removing the barrier of travel distance only succeeds if residents actually take advantage of local mobile units. Second, for overall regional rates to rise, gains from mobile units must not be offset by losses in fixed clinic capacity.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Identifying Underlying Assumptions using the Negation Test