Physicians in rural areas are more likely to participate in quality improvement activities and discuss the cost of care with their patients than their counterparts in urban areas, a recent study in the Journal of Rural Health found.
The study is based on a survey of 691 urban physicians and 127 rural physicians.
Nearly half (40.5 percent) of surveyed rural physicians agreed that physicians should talk with their patients about the cost of care, while just 29.2 percent of urban physicians thought similarly.
Additionally, 65.6 percent of rural primary care physicians have reviewed another physician's records for quality improvement, while just 48 percent of urban physicians have done so, the survey found. But the reported attitudes regarding participating in QI activities were not different between urban and rural physicians.
"I hope this study helps dispel myths about rural healthcare," Alan Morgan, CEO of the National Rural Health Association, said in a news release. "Quality healthcare can be found in rural towns all across America. Rural primary care often faces significant challenges with equal or better patient outcomes. It's time to start looking at what's done right in rural."
More Articles on Rural Healthcare:
Washington State Bill Would Boost Medicaid Payments to Rural Hospitals
San Antonio HIE Works to Connect Rural Providers
50 Rural Hospital CEOs to Know