This project will examine factors that explain rural residents seeking care outside of the rural community through: 1) analysis of H-CUP hospital discharge datasets from four geographically representative states; and 2) analysis that drills down in the state of Iowa where a unique dataset identifies all physician practices including their visiting consulting arrangements. This research will lead to an understanding of patient characteristics, facility capacity, and the supply of healthcare providers in order to inform what factors influence rural resident bypass patterns.

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