Mal-Distibution of Physicians
Mal-distribution of Physicians
Though physician shortages are particularly evident in inner-city and rural communities, experts point to nationwide demographic, changes among baby boomer and their health care needs, as well as trends in medical school enrollment and specialization as factors. Shortages are most predominant in rural and inner city settings potentially creating serious consequences in patient care. Physician supply in rural areas is closely tied to the specialty mix of American physicians. Specialty has a powerful effect on physician’s location of choice for each of the major specialty groups. Family physicians distribute themselves in proportion to the population in both rural and urban locations and are the single largest source of physicians in rural areas. All other specialties are more likely to settle in urban areas ("Shortage Designation: Health Professional Shortage areas and Medically Underserved Areas/Populations," 2013).
There are a number of reasons why, despite the growing numbers of physicians, there are fewer in rural and inner city areas. The most prevalent is access to resources. Many physicians choose an urban area because it provides access to facilities, equipment and increased quality of life. Additionally their perception of the work culture in inner city and rural areas directly effects decisions. The perception that inner city stereotypically equates to deprivation, poverty and crime while rural areas equate to boring, poor and uneducated.
Aging rural physicians, declining interest in primary care and rural practice among recent medical graduates, and increases in woman who are less likely to practice in rural settings, all contribute to the bleak outlook for the rural physician workforce (Calman, Hauser, Salsberg, & Forte, 2008, p. 260). The shortage of physicians, especially primary care physicians, in rural areas of the United States represents one of the most significant health policy problems of the
Though physician shortages are particularly evident in inner-city and rural communities, experts point to nationwide demographic, changes among baby boomer and their health care needs, as well as trends in medical school enrollment and specialization as factors. Shortages are most predominant in rural and inner city settings potentially creating serious consequences in patient care. Physician supply in rural areas is closely tied to the specialty mix of American physicians. Specialty has a powerful effect on physician’s location of choice for each of the major specialty groups. Family physicians distribute themselves in proportion to the population in both rural and urban locations and are the single largest source of physicians in rural areas. All other specialties are more likely to settle in urban areas ("Shortage Designation: Health Professional Shortage areas and Medically Underserved Areas/Populations," 2013).
There are a number of reasons why, despite the growing numbers of physicians, there are fewer in rural and inner city areas. The most prevalent is access to resources. Many physicians choose an urban area because it provides access to facilities, equipment and increased quality of life. Additionally their perception of the work culture in inner city and rural areas directly effects decisions. The perception that inner city stereotypically equates to deprivation, poverty and crime while rural areas equate to boring, poor and uneducated.
Aging rural physicians, declining interest in primary care and rural practice among recent medical graduates, and increases in woman who are less likely to practice in rural settings, all contribute to the bleak outlook for the rural physician workforce (Calman, Hauser, Salsberg, & Forte, 2008, p. 260). The shortage of physicians, especially primary care physicians, in rural areas of the United States represents one of the most significant health policy problems of the
References: Calman, N., Hauser, D., Salsberg, E., & Forte, G. (2008). Physician Shortages. Health Affairs, 4(4), 260-262. http://dx.doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.22.4.260-a Shortage Designation: Health Professional Shortage areas and Medically Underserved Areas/Populations. (2013). Retrieved from http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/shortage/ Sultz, H. A., & Young, K. M. (2011). Benchmark Developments in U.S. Health Care. In Health Care USA Understanding Its Organization and Delivery (7th ed.). Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning .