Health Affairs

Health Affairs, 27, no. 5 (2008): 1409-1415 doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.27.5.1409 © 2008 by Project HOPE	New Online   Getting Health Reform Done   After the State of the Union   Incremental Reform   E-Health in Developing World   Most-Read Articles in 2009

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Health Tracking

TRENDS

The Diffusion Of Physicians

Thomas C. Ricketts and Randy Randolph

Physicians move from place to place over their careers; this is thought to reflect the economic theory that they seek better opportunities to practice. Using national data, this study tracked physician movement between counties classified by physician-to-population ratio and socioeconomic characteristics. Approximately one-quarter of practicing physicians moved in each of two ten-year periods, 1981–1991 and 1991–2001. The overall tendency of movers was to go to places with lower physician-to-population ratios but higher per capita incomes and lower unemployment. These trends, if they continue, may help decrease access to physician care in rural and urban underserved areas.

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