Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Physicians

Higher Primary Care Physician Continuity is Associated With Lower Costs and Hospitalizations
Results of a study using Medicare claims data for patients obtaining care from a sample of 6,551 primary care physicians. Features statistics including physician characteristics associated with providing continuity of care, with breakdowns by 5 levels of population density.
Author(s): Andrew Bazemore, Stephen Petterson, Lars E. Peterson, et al.
Citation: Annals of Family Medicine, 16(6), 492-497
Date: 2018
Type: Document
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MedPAC Report to the Congress: Physician Supervision Requirements in Critical Access Hospitals and Small Rural Hospitals
Provides background information on Medicare physician supervision requirements, and examines how enforcement of these requirements impacts access to care, quality of care, and staffing needs in Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) and small rural hospitals. Findings are based on interviews with CMS officials, hospital association representatives, and CAH administrators in several states.
Date: 12/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Trends in Primary Care Provision to Medicare Beneficiaries by Physicians, Nurse Practitioners, or Physician Assistants: 2008-2014
Examines trends in elderly patients receiving primary care from physicians alone, physicians with nurse practitioners (NPs) and/or physician assistants (PAs), and NPs/PAs without physicians. Considered these models for delivering primary care to Medicare patients with multiple chronic conditions and Medicare patients in rural and health professional shortage areas (HPSAs).
Author(s): Ying Xue, James S. Goodwin, Deepak Adhikari, Mukaila A. Raji, Yong-Fang Kuo
Citation: Journal of Primary Care and Community Health, 8(4), 256-263
Date: 10/2017
Type: Document
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Veterans Health Administration: Better Data and Evaluation Could Help Improve Physician Staffing, Recruitment, and Retention Strategies
Reviews the Veterans Health Administration's (VHA) recruitment and retention strategies, specifically for VHA physicians working in the five areas identified as mission-critical: primary care, mental health, gastroenterology, orthopedic surgery, and emergency medicine. Presents information on how many VHA physicians provide care, the extent VHA measures physician workload and productivity, and how current recruitment and retention strategies are evaluated. Addresses rural shortages and makes recommendations for improving VHA workforce development and planning based on interviews with VHA officials and a review of VHA documentation.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 10/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Physician Supply Key to Oklahoma's Health and Wealth: Recommendations for Physician Training, Recruitment, Retention Strategies
Provides an overview of the physician shortage in Oklahoma. Discusses its impacts on population health and the economy, issues contributing to the shortage, and difficulty recruiting and retaining physicians, particularly in rural areas. Offers policy recommendations to help improve physician supply, including funding for rural training tracks, loan repayment programs, building data collection capacity, and identifying factors to help low-volume rural practices succeed.
Date: 09/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Governor's Council for Workforce and Economic Development, Healthcare Workforce Subcommittee
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Addressing Rural Health Challenges Head On
Describes challenges physicians encounter when practicing in rural and underserved areas of Missouri. Covers multiple issues including health professional shortages, limits of rural training opportunities, population health challenges, rural Missouri demographics, and more.
Author(s): Marci Nielsen, Darrin D'Agostino, Paula Gregory
Citation: Missouri Medicine, 114(5), 363-366
Date: 09/2017
Type: Document
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Non-Direct Patient Care Physicians in North Dakota
Fact sheet discussing physicians in North Dakota who provide non-direct patient care such as faculty, researchers, and administrators. Uses 2015 data from the American Medical Association Physician Masterfile and includes breakdowns by rural/urban location.
Author(s): Gary Hart, Robin Besse, Mandi-Leigh Peterson
Date: 08/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: University of North Dakota Center for Rural Health
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Practice Characteristics of the Established Physician Workforce in South Carolina: 2009-2015
Examines how South Carolina physicians' employment status, practice settings, number of hours worked weekly, and number of practice sites changed from 2009 to 2015, based on data supplied by physicians when renewing their licenses. Features statistics with breakdowns including counts for Federally Qualified Health Centers or rural clinics and percentages of growth.
Date: 08/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: South Carolina Office for Healthcare Workforce
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Availability of Direct Patient Care Physicians in North Dakota
Provides an analysis of the availability of direct patient care physicians in North Dakota by rural/urban status, location of medical school and residency, gender, and age using 2013 data from the American Medical Association Physician Masterfile.
Author(s): Gary Hart, Robin Besse, Mandi-Leigh Peterson
Date: 08/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: University of North Dakota Center for Rural Health
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Demographics of Direct Patient Care Physicians in North Dakota
Fact Sheet describing direct patient care physicians by age, patient population, and rural/urban status in North Dakota using 2015 data from the American Medical Association Physician Masterfile.
Author(s): Gary Hart, Robin Besse, Mandi-Leigh Peterson
Date: 08/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: University of North Dakota Center for Rural Health
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