BACKGROUND: Professional isolation is a barrier to practicing in rural and underserved communities. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between membership in a practice-based research network and the length of employment in members' and nonmembers' current clinic sites. METHODS: This was a cross sectional study of 7 group practices (2 urban and 5 rural groups comprising 22 clinic sites) throughout New Mexico that had RIOS Net member and nonmember practicing clinicians. RESULTS: The 22 clinics employed 95 clinicians, of which 43% were RIOS Net members (21 of 59 MDs, 8 of 18 Nurse Practitioners, 9 of 15 Physician Assistants and 3 of 3 others). RIOS Net members had a significantly longer mean employment time (7.0 years; SD, 6.8 years; median, 5.0 years), compared with non-RIOS Net members (4.0 years; SD, 5.0 years; median, 2.3 years; P = .003). Similar results were found when analyzed by length of time in practice with cutoffs of 2 and 5 years. DISCUSSION: Being a member of a practice-based research network may be a determinate of staying in rural practice longer. This is a hypothesis-generating study and needs confirmation from larger studies whose analysis stratifies clinician demographics and practice type.
BACKGROUND: Professional isolation is a barrier to practicing in rural and underserved communities. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between membership in a practice-based research network and the length of employment in members' and nonmembers' current clinic sites. METHODS: This was a cross sectional study of 7 group practices (2 urban and 5 rural groups comprising 22 clinic sites) throughout New Mexico that had RIOS Net member and nonmember practicing clinicians. RESULTS: The 22 clinics employed 95 clinicians, of which 43% were RIOS Net members (21 of 59 MDs, 8 of 18 Nurse Practitioners, 9 of 15 Physician Assistants and 3 of 3 others). RIOS Net members had a significantly longer mean employment time (7.0 years; SD, 6.8 years; median, 5.0 years), compared with non-RIOS Net members (4.0 years; SD, 5.0 years; median, 2.3 years; P = .003). Similar results were found when analyzed by length of time in practice with cutoffs of 2 and 5 years. DISCUSSION: Being a member of a practice-based research network may be a determinate of staying in rural practice longer. This is a hypothesis-generating study and needs confirmation from larger studies whose analysis stratifies clinician demographics and practice type.
Authors: Arthur Kaufman; Wayne Powell; Charles Alfero; Mario Pacheco; Helene Silverblatt; Juliana Anastasoff; Francisco Ronquillo; Ken Lucero; Erin Corriveau; Betsy Vanleit; Dale Alverson; Amy Scott Journal: Ann Fam Med Date: 2010 Jan-Feb Impact factor: 5.166
Authors: Amanda E Hoffmann; Erin K Leege; Mary Beth Plane; Katherine A Judge; Amy L Irwin; Regina M Vidaver; David L Hahn Journal: J Am Board Fam Med Date: 2015 Sep-Oct Impact factor: 2.657
Authors: Rahma Mungia; Ellen Funkhouser; Sonia K Makhija; Stephanie C Reyes; Rachel A Cohen; David L Cochran; Cyril Meyerowitz; D Brad Rindal; Valeria V Gordan; Jeffrey L Fellows; Meredith Trejo; Thomas W Oates; Jason D McCargar; Pamela A McMahon; Gregg H Gilbert Journal: J Am Board Fam Med Date: 2020 Sep-Oct Impact factor: 2.657
Authors: Richard M Hoffman; Andrew L Sussman; Christina M Getrich; Robert L Rhyne; Richard E Crowell; Kathryn L Taylor; Ellen J Reifler; Pamela H Wescott; Ambroshia M Murrietta; Ali I Saeed; Shiraz I Mishra Journal: Prev Chronic Dis Date: 2015-07-09 Impact factor: 2.830