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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Physicians

Buyback Program of Unused Prescription Opioids in US Rural Communities, 2017–2018
Describes a buyback intervention that was designed to encourage rural, ambulatory surgery patients to return unused prescription opioids to a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital. Provides data on patient characteristics as well as percent of opioids prescribed and returned during 2017 and 2018. Includes implications for public health.
Author(s): Jean Liu, Julie Franklin, Frank Gesek, Joseph Anderson
Citation: American Journal of Public Health, 110(9), 1318-1324
Date: 2020
Type: Document
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Contributions of US Medical Schools to Primary Care (2003-2014): Determining and Predicting Who Really Goes Into Primary Care
Results of a project to determine the magnitude by which primary care output is overestimated and to identify a more accurate way to predict actual primary care output. Features statistics on percentages of medical school graduates who intended to practice and who actually practice in primary care, based on data from 17,509 graduates from 20 campuses across 14 university systems.
Author(s): Mark Deutchman, Francesca Macaluso, Jason Chao, et al.
Citation: Family Medicine, 52(7), 483-490
Date: 2020
Type: Document
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The Landscape of Obstetric Resources and Risks in Indiana: A Framework for Informing Policy
Provides insight on access to obstetric care resources and infant or maternal health risk factors in Indiana communities. Presents a framework that can be used for targeting state and health system policy and planning by analyzing resources, such as obstetric providers and hospitals with obstetric services, and health risks. Includes a county-level map with breakdowns showing 4 levels of access to obstetric care services, 3 levels of maternal or infant health risks, and shadings to indicate rural counties.
Author(s): Hannah Maxey, Courtney Randolph, Sierra Vaughn
Date: 12/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Bowen Center for Health Workforce Research and Policy
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Comparison of Rural vs Urban Direct-to-Physician Commercial Promotion of Medications for Treating Opioid Use Disorder
Results of a cross-sectional county-level study using all reported direct-to-physician pharmaceutical payments from manufacturers of opioid use disorder medications from 2014-2017, as well as demographic and economic data from 3,140 counties. Features statistics with breakdowns by metropolitan, micropolitan, and rural areas.
Author(s): Thuy Nguyen, Barbara Andraka-Christou, Kosali Simon, W. David Bradford
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 2(12)
Date: 12/2019
Type: Document
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Access and Capacity to Care for Medicare Beneficiaries in Rural Health Clinics
Findings from a voluntary online survey conducted in 2019 of 111 Rural Health Clinic (RHC) staff from 27 states, to better understand how they address issues on accessibility, capacity, flexibility of services, and other clinic characteristics for Medicare beneficiaries, and to identify any gaps in healthcare.
Author(s): Megan Lahr, Carrie Henning-Smith, Ashley M. Hernandez, Hannah Neprash
Date: 12/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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Wisconsin 2019 Health Care Workforce Report
Examines healthcare workforce supply and demand in Wisconsin. Discusses the need for physicians, particularly in rural areas, and highlights medical school and residency programs focused on addressing that need. Includes rural/urban data by profession on hospital vacancy rates and the aging workforce.
Date: 12/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Wisconsin Hospital Association
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Minnesota Overview of the Physician Workforce, 2019
Provides an overview of Minnesota's physician workforce using data from the Minnesota Board of Medical Practices (BMP) and the 2018 Physician Workforce survey. Describes licensed physicians by rural-urban commuting area (RUCA) codes, and presents statistics on physicians' education, demographics, work and employment, and new and emerging models of care.
Date: 11/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Minnesota Department of Health - Office of Rural Health and Primary Care
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Video: How Communities Are Working Together to Improve Access to Care in Rural Communities
Discusses physician shortages in rural Oklahoma and highlights a public-private partnership working to improve access. Details the partnership between Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma, the Physician Manpower Training Commission, Oklahoma Medical Association, Texas County, and Memorial Hospital of Texas County.
Date: 11/2019
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Blue Cross Blue Shield
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Preparing Physicians for Rural Practice: Availability of Rural Training in Rural-Centric Residency Programs
Results of a 2015 survey of residency programs that were located in rural areas or had rural tracks in 7 specialties and had classified training locations as rural or urban by using Rural-Urban Commuting Area codes. Features statistics for various specialties and types of sponsoring institutions, with breakdowns by rural-centric or nonrural-centric programs.
Author(s): Davis G. Patterson, Holly A. Andrilla, Lisa A. Garberson
Citation: Journal of Graduate Medical Education, 11(5), 550–557
Date: 10/2019
Type: Document
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Behavioral Health Service Provision by Primary Care Physicians
Results of a 2019 survey of 313 physicians, examining physician medical specialty and practice characteristics, patient population characteristics, physician practices for screening and diagnosing patients for behavioral health disorders, and roles in managing patients with behavioral health disorders. Features statistics on various types of disorders, with breakdowns by rural and nonrural settings.
Additional links: Policy Brief
Author(s): Angela J. Beck, Cory Page, Jessica Buche, Victoria Schoebel, Caitlyn Wayment
Date: 10/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: University of Michigan Behavioral Health Workforce Research Center
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