Work

The impacts of shortage area designations on mortality

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Spatial mismatch between patients and physicians constrains access to medical care and contributes to differential health outcomes. Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) designations identify areas where there are too few primary care physicians to treat the local population. State and federal programs are used to incentivize an increase in primary care services for designated communities. Propensity score matching methods estimate the effect of county‐level primary care HPSA designation on mortality. Designated counties experience an average three percent decline in overall mortality, a six percent decline in the cancer mortality rate and a 13% decline in the stroke mortality rate.

Source: Contemporary Economic Policy

DOI: 10.1111/coep.12695

Author: Jessica Sauve‐Syed

Institution: Furman University

Language: English

Topic: Global Health Workforce Issues

Subfield: Emergency Medical Services

Field: Health Professions

Domain: Health Sciences

SDGs: Good health and well-being, Reduced inequalities

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $2,970