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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Specialty care

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
Sponsoring organization: South Carolina Office for Healthcare Workforce
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Improving Access to High Quality Sepsis Care in a South Dakota Emergency Telemedicine Network
Research and policy brief exploring whether emergency department-based telemedicine networks using real-time access to sepsis experts can improve outcomes and decrease variation in care. Discusses a pilot program for Critical Access Hospitals in South Dakota-based Avera Health's 140-hospital network in 12 states. Includes statistics for patients with positive sepsis screens from September 2016 to March 2017.
Author(s): Nicholas M. Mohr, Brian Skow, Amy Wittrock, et al.
Date: 08/2017
Sponsoring organization: Rural Telehealth Research Center
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Evaluation of Diabetic Retinal Screening and Factors for Ophthalmology Referral in a Telemedicine Network
Examines telemedicine retinal screening for diabetic retinopathy (DR) among type 1 or type 2 diabetics in rural and underserved communities in North Carolina. Discusses geographic and socioeconomic challenges that lead to disparities in screening and treatment for DR, exploring telehealth's potential to expand access. Analyzes data on patient characteristics, diagnoses, and referrals.
Author(s): Pooja Jani, Lauren Forbes, Arkopal Choudhury, et al.
Citation: JAMA Ophthalmology, 135(7), 706-714
Date: 07/2017
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Changes in the Physician Workforce in South Carolina: 2009-2015
Summarizes changes in South Carolina's physician workforce, based on data the physicians provided when renewing their licenses in 2009 and 2015. Features statistics including numbers of physicians with breakdowns by specialties, geographic region, and metropolitan, micropolitan, or rural location, as well as gains and losses in rural areas.
Date: 05/2017
Sponsoring organization: South Carolina Office for Healthcare Workforce
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The Influence of the Degree of Rurality on EMR Adoption, by Physician Specialty
Study examining the adoption of electronic medical record (EMR) technology based on degree of rurality using Rural-Urban Continuum Codes. Analyzes 2012 data from over 270,000 physician practices on rates of EMR technology adoption and provider specializations. Presents data based on average daily patient volume and type of provider, including nurse practitioners and physician assistants.
Author(s): Brian E. Whitacre
Citation: Health Services Research, 52(2), 616-633
Date: 04/2017
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Using Telemedicine to Increase Access, Improve Care in Rural Communities
Examines Avera Health, an integrated delivery system based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, to highlight how telehealth can be used to improve access in rural areas. Avera offers "eEmergency" telehealth services to more than 130 rural hospitals and "ePharmacy" services to roughly 75 rural hospitals, and other telehealth services. Discusses Avera's expansion into other areas where provider recruitment may be difficult, including prisons, schools, and long-term care facilities.
Author(s): Sarah Klein, Martha Hostetter
Citation: Transforming Care: Reporting on Health System Improvement
Date: 03/2017
Sponsoring organization: Commonwealth Fund
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Project Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO) in Multiple Sclerosis: Increasing Clinician Capacity
Reports on a pilot program conducted by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and faculty from the University of Washington School of Medicine using the Project Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (Project ECHO) model. Determines if the Project Echo model was a viable option to support the capacity of clinicians in rural areas to effectively treat patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) in underserved areas.
Author(s): Kurt L. Johnson, Deborah Hertz, Gary Stobbe, et al.
Citation: International Journal of MS Care, 9(6), 283–289
Date: 2017
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Wisconsin Physicians: Distribution by Specialty, Demographics, Population to Provider Ratios, Retirement
Provides detailed data on Wisconsin's physicians by specialty for different health service areas. Includes information summarized by region, and by urban and rural service area.
Date: 11/2016
Sponsoring organization: Wisconsin Area Health Education Center System
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Geographic Accessibility of Pulmonologists for Adults with COPD
Examines county-level geographic access to pulmonologists for adults with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Includes statistics describing the distance in miles to a pulmonologist or primary care physician for adults living in rural areas. Figure 1 overlays locations of pulmonologists with county estimates of adults with COPD. Figure 2 overlays the locations of primary care physician locations with county estimates of adults with COPD.
Author(s): Janet B. Croft, Hua Lu, Xingyou Zhang, James B. Holt
Citation: Chest, 150(3), 544-553
Date: 09/2016
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The Graduate Medical Education System and Physician Supply in Texas
Reports on the number of primary care and specialty physicians in Texas. Identifies the medical specialties at critical shortage levels and the rural and urban locations of physician specialists. Looks at the overall supply of physicians in the state, the relevancy of the graduate medical education (GME) system, and the ability of the GME system to meet the current and future healthcare needs in Texas.
Additional links: Addendum to the Graduate Medical Education System and Physician Supply in Texas
Date: 07/2016
Sponsoring organization: Texas Health and Human Services
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