Study: Rural physicians more likely to partake in quality improvement efforts, discuss costs of care with patients
If you work in rural health, the latest article published in NRHA’s Journal of Rural Health isn’t going to surprise you. But you’re also aware of the misconceptions about cost and quality of care, so it’s great to have research back up what we already know. “I hope this study helps dispel myths about rural health care,” says NRHA CEO Alan Morgan. “Quality health care can be found in rural towns all across America. Rural primary care often faces significant challenges with equal or better patient outcomes. It’s time to start looking at what’s done right in rural.” A survey of 2,000 rural and urban family practitioners indicated that while rural communities may have fewer training options, rural primary care physicians are significantly more likely to participate in quality improvement activities. The study also found that rural doctors were more likely to agree that physicians should discuss the costs of care with their patients and to report having added Medicaid or uninsured patients during the preceding year. “Rural physicians are dedicated to providing high quality care and committed to supporting safety net patients,” said study co-author Anne Kirchhoff, PhD, University of Utah assistant professor of pediatrics. “The Affordable Care Act should help more primary care providers receive payments for care they currently provide without charge. But as the Medicaid expansion is limited to only half the states, many rural providers will still shoulder a disproportionate cost burden compared with urban physicians.” These findings correlate with other recent research, including a 2013 study which indicates rural health care quality is equal to or better than urban care and the cost per Medicare beneficiary is 3.7 percent less for patients treated in rural areas versus those who seek urban health care. The peer-reviewed article on the study, supported by a grant from the Columbia University Institute on Medicine as a Profession, is available here.