Factors leading physicians to practice medicine in rural areas of Texas

Abstract

This research addresses the issue of maldistribution of physicians. There has been a rapid growth in the supply of physicians in the United States, but the increase in number of physicians does not signify an effective distribution from the public's standpoint. The geographic distribution of medical doctors is of major concern in public policy to both federal and state governments. Programs to increase the supply of physicians in the 1970's were aimed purely at increasing the number of physicians hoping that an appropriate distribution would occur through supply and demand pressures. But many rural areas do not have enough physicians. This study was designed to determine from the literature factors that are most important to a physician in selecting a practice location. Factors were then grouped into three major categories: (1) economic, (2) professional, and (3) individual desires and lifestyles. A geographical area of study was selected in South Texas that afforded the opportunity to survey physicians in rural isolation as well as those in urban practice locations. Hospitals within the same area were surveyed as to their methods of attracting physicians to their medical staff. A third phase of the research was that of surveying factors of importance to medical students. Three medical schools were selected within the state of Texas in order to determine the anticipated needs and desires of a practice location of the future physicians. The earlier research of factors of influence on practice location as either urban or rural would lead one to believe that the factors related to the profession of medicine and its support were paramount. The governmental support given to build hospitals and medical related facilities also indicates professional factor influence. This research indicates that both the practicing physicians and the medical students were most concerned with individual desires and lifestyle, economic factors, and professional influence in that order.