Rural-urban health care provider disparities in Alaska and New Mexico.
Compared to their urban counterparts, rural residents face numerous disparities in obtaining health care, including limited access to care providers. We assessed disparities in provider availability in rural versus urban Alaska and New Mexico, with emphasis on professionals likely to provide mental health care. Using lists of licenses, we categorized physical and mental health care providers into rural versus urban and calculated rural versus urban disparity ratios. Rural residents had significantly less access to health care providers and discrepancies grew with level of required provider education and specialization. Addressing disparities via creative strategies is crucial to improving rural care delivery.
Johnson
Mark E
ME
Behavioral Health Research and Services, University of Alaska Anchorage, Anchorage, Alaska 99508, USA. mejohnson@uaa.alaska.edu
Brems
Christiane
C
Warner
Teddy D
TD
Roberts
Laura Weiss
LW
D000413:Alaska; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000600:supply & distribution; D009516:New Mexico; D012423:Rural Health; D014504:Urban Health