Healthcare service utilization under a rural mobile Medical unit in Mulshi block, Maharashtra, India: a retrospective descriptive study

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Abstract Mobile Medical Units (MMUs) are increasingly used to improve access to primary healthcare services among geographically underserved rural populations. However, evidence regarding healthcare utilization patterns, repeat consultations, and spatial variation in MMU service use remains limited, particularly in private medical college-supported outreach settings in India. This study aimed to describe healthcare utilization patterns, morbidity profile, repeat consultations, and village-level variation in service use among beneficiaries attending a rural MMU. A retrospective descriptive analysis of MMU outpatient records from April 2024 to March 2025 was conducted in Mulshi block, Pune district, Maharashtra, India. All recorded consultations were included. Variables analysed included age, sex, village of residence, morbidity profile, repeat consultations, and village-wise consultation load. Diagnoses were grouped into broad morbidity categories for analysis. Descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and effect size estimation were performed. Andersen’s Behavioral Model of Health Service Utilization was used as a broad interpretive framework rather than a formally operationalized explanatory model. GIS-based spatial visualization using QGIS was undertaken to explore geographic variation in consultation patterns. A total of 18,296 consultations involving 12,901 unique beneficiaries were recorded during the study period, of which 5,395 consultations (29.5%) represented repeat consultations. Females and older adults aged ≥ 60 years constituted the largest beneficiary group. Respiratory disorders, symptom-based presentations, digestive disorders, and musculoskeletal conditions represented the predominant morbidity categories. Population-adjusted village analysis demonstrated substantial heterogeneity in utilization rates across the MMU catchment area.The findings indicate that MMUs were utilized predominantly by women and older adults and demonstrated marked village-level variation in utilization rates.