title: Primary health care in rural areas: an agenda for research.
abstract: The confluence of forces slowing the growth of the physician supply despite a continued shortage of primary care physicians, the encouragement of competitive medical practices that centralize resources in larger places, and the changing of the rural population's character to one of more dependence on medical care may bring on another "rural health crisis" in the decade ahead.
authors.affiliation: Health Services Research Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill 27599-7490.
authors.forename: G H
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: DeFriese
authors.forename: T C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Ricketts
mesh_terms: D003153:Community Health Services / Q000639:trends; D006291:Health Policy / Q000639:trends; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000639:trends; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D008507:Medically Underserved Area; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000600:supply & distribution; D012423:Rural Health / Q000639:trends*; D014481:United States