Interactive tool reveals where physicians are needed

The distribution of the health care workforce has major implications for residents, physicians, advocates, policymakers and, of course, patients. An updated mapping tool can help you better grasp that distribution and how it relates to population health and professional opportunities. The AMAHealth Workforce Mapper Version 2.0 is a customizable, interactive tool that illustrates the geographic distribution of the health care workforce. Users can filter physician and non-physician health care professionals by specialty and employment setting at the state, county and metropolitan levels. The mapper also features geographic and policy data relevant to the health care workforce, including health professional shortage areas, hospital locations and population indicators. This data can be used to: Help residents determine which regions are most in need of physicians in their given specialty Help practices distinguish possible areas of both deficiency and overlap and identify high-priority areas for workforce expansion Help advocates demonstrate to policymakers the geographic distribution of the health care workforce to assist them in making appropriate, evidence-based decisions For example, with just three clicks, a user could determine that 49 of Ohio ’s 88 counties lack a single geriatrician; that 18% of Belmont County’s 70,000 residents are over the age of 65; and that Delaware County’s population increased more than 58% from 2000 to 2010. Basemaps provide further...
Source: AMA Wire - Category: Journals (General) Authors: Source Type: news