Making health services more accessible to rural locales. Do conceptualizations matter?

Dear Editor,
Improving health services accessibility and health outcomes for nonurban residents remains a critical public health challenge worldwide [1], [2]. However, in relative terms, appreciable strides have been made in some developed countries such as Australia, Canada, USA, and UK [3], [4], [5]. A clear geographical classification through context specific indicators (population size, proximity to urban centres, predominant economic activities, etc) is what set these countries apart in rural health care provision. Thus, operationalization of the concept ‘rural’ and other related terminologies is critical for health services provision, policy, and research in underserved areas [5], [6].