The Virtual Health Economy: Telemedicine and the Supply of Primary Care Physicians in Rural America

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
For years, people living in rural areas have struggled unsuccessfully to attract and retain primary care physicians to supply basic medical care to their residents. Rural areas continue to suffer from chronic shortages of physicians and mid-level practitioners, as well as high rates of hospital closures and increased levels of uninsurance and underinsurance, reducing both the physical and financial health of these communities. Physical and economic barriers unique to rural areas block the adequate delivery of health care and contribute to this shortage of health care personnel.Although Congress has made some progress in identifying where health care shortages occur, it has not adequately identified the source of the shortages, and thus, it has not been able to find adequate solutions to rural health care ills. Past legislative action has involved identifying shortage areas and then providing financial incentives to attract physicians and increase the financial health of hospitals by subsidizing the difference between rural America's ability to pay and what physicians are willing to accept.

This publication has 4 references indexed in Scilit: