The health of rural residents is threatened when they must travel long distances to receive scheduled general surgical services or do not have access to general surgeons for emergencies. This national study will evaluate the adequacy of the distribution of general surgeons within rural America, using the county as the unit of analysis. We are using data from 1985 and 1994 to examine geographic patterns of and changes in general surgeon location and will relate these findings to county, regional, economic, and settlement pattern attributes. Related analyses will examine general surgeon-to-population ratios, distribution of certified and noncertified general surgeons, and association of location of general surgeons with Health Professional Shortage Areas.

There may be products related to this project; please contact the lead researcher for more information.