Comparison of US Oncologist Rurality by Practice Setting and Patients Served.

ABSTRACT:

Importance

Studies of the oncology workforce most often classify physician rurality by their practice location, but this could miss the true extent of physicians involved in rural cancer care.

Objective

To compare a method for identifying oncology physicians involved in rural cancer care that uses the proportion of rural patients served with the standard method based on practice location.

Design, setting, and participants

This cross-sectional study used retrospective Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services encounter data on medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, and surgeons treating Medicare beneficiaries diagnosed with breast, colorectal, or lung cancer from January 1 to December 31, 2019. Data were analyzed from May to September 2023.

Main outcomes and mea

SUBMITTER: Cornelius SL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10770776 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature