title: Rheumatology Resources in a Region of Buenos Aires Province, Argentina.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Accurate knowledge of the available rheumatology workforce and their working conditions results in better care for patients with rheumatic diseases.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to assess the rheumatology resources and their distribution within district V of the College of Physicians (COLMED5) of Buenos Aires Province, Argentina.
  
  
  METHODS
  All the registered rheumatologists and all the registered public and private institutions within COLMED5 were identified. Aside from these data, phone calls, letters, Internet-derived information, and databases from public and private health insurance providers and the Argentine Society of Rheumatology were included as well. Rheumatologists' per-capita rates were built for both the whole district and every town. A rate of at least 1 rheumatologist per 50,000 people was deemed an optimal resource.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty-six rheumatologists were identified; the calculated rate was 1 rheumatologist per 68,403 people; 44% of the health care institutions had a rheumatologist; 33% of them were public institutions. Only 25.5% of COLMED5 total population had optimal rheumatology resources in their town, 70.3% did not reach the optimal resource level but at least had a rheumatologist in their town, and 4.2% had no resources whatsoever; 49% of the total population lacked public health care facilities with inpatient settings and rheumatologists in their town.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although COLMED5 has 72% of the optimal number of rheumatologists, because of their uneven distribution, only 25.5% of the district's total population has the optimal rheumatology resources in their town. Nearly half COLMED5 total population lacks public health care facilities with inpatient settings and rheumatologists in their town, and 4.2% has no available rheumatology resource at all.
authors.affiliation: From the *Instituto Médico de la Comunidad, Junín; and †Centro Dermatológico Schejtman, San Miguel, Provincia de Buenos Aires Argentina.
authors.forename: Nauan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fara
authors.forename: Gabriel
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sequeira
mesh_terms: D001118:Argentina; D006295:Health Resources / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006280:Health Workforce / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D020380:Needs Assessment; D010820:Physicians / Q000600:supply & distribution; D012216:Rheumatic Diseases / Q000628:therapy*; D012219:Rheumatology / Q000458:organization & administration