Health workforce shortages evident in nonurban areas
Access to clinicians in nonurban areas may be disproportionate to the population’s needs.
In a research letter published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, investigators used nationally representative, de-identified data from the 2019 to 2023 American Community Survey Public Use Microdata Sample file to conduct a comprehensive cross-sectional assessment of the healthcare workforce on the basis of urbanicity.
Among the nearly 13 million employed healthcare workers included in the study, just over 1 million of them practiced in nonurban areas. The investigators found a 44% difference in the number of healthcare workers to 10,000 residents in nonurban areas compared with that of urban areas — with notable disparities among psychologists followed by physicians, surgeons, dentists and podiatrists. For instance, compared with 5.72 dentists per 10,000 residents in urban areas, there were just 2.14 dentists per 10,000 residents in nonurban areas.
The investigators emphasized that medical specialties requiring more extensive formal training versus supportive roles were more likely to demonstrate insufficiencies in nonurban areas.
Read more: Annals of Internal Medicine
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