The study is based on a survey of 691 urban physicians and 127 rural physicians.
Nearly half (40.5 percent) of surveyed rural physicians agreed that physicians should talk with their patients about the cost of care, while just 29.2 percent of urban physicians thought similarly.
Additionally, 65.6 percent of rural primary care physicians have reviewed another physician’s records for quality improvement, while just 48 percent of urban physicians have done so, the survey found. But the reported attitudes regarding participating in QI activities were not different between urban and rural physicians.
“I hope this study helps dispel myths about rural healthcare,” Alan Morgan, CEO of the National Rural Health Association, said in a news release. “Quality healthcare can be found in rural towns all across America. Rural primary care often faces significant challenges with equal or better patient outcomes. It’s time to start looking at what’s done right in rural.”
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