Primary care physicians working in rural areas provide a broader scope of practice: a cross-sectional study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Scope of practice (SoP) is an important factor for primary care physicians (PCPs). One of the strong determinants of SoP is rurality. Although Japan has several rural areas, the SoP in rural areas and the effect of rurality on SoP have not been investigated. This study aimed to describe SoP in Japanese primary care settings and examine the association between rurality and SoP.

Methods

This cross-sectional study included PCPs in Japan. The participants were randomly sampled from the mailing list of the Japan Primary Care Association. The Scope of Practice Inventory (SPI) and Scope of Practice for Primary Care (SP4PC) were used as indicators of SoP. The Rurality Index for Japan (RIJ) was used for rurality. This study compared the number of items of SPI (total score,

SUBMITTER: Kaneko M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10759475 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature