The West Virginia medical journal最新文献

Introduction: The purpose of the study was to identify factors that influence the decision to practice medicine in West Virginia (WV) and to identify state-specific targets to address workforce issues.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between November 2019 and March 2020 using an online link to an anonymous survey sent to all physicians with an e-mail address on file with the state allopathic medical licensing board and the WV Osteopathic Medical Association. Descriptive statistics and inductive analyses were employed.

Results: Forty-five percent of respondents were from WV, and 17% were from rural WV in the sample size of 428. Quality of life and loan forgiveness/repayment were more important to primary care than specialty care providers. Community attributes were important to native West Virginians. Recruitment and retention themes that emerged were as follows: home and family, the capacity to dually serve as faculty and clinician, to serve where most needed, debt payback, and quality of life.

Discussion: Quality of life and community attributes were the most influential factors in deciding to practice medicine in WV. Financial incentives were effective recruitment tools. Retention was strongly influenced by social and reimbursement policy in the state, clinical leadership at the local level, and lifestyle factors in the geographic region.

Conclusion: Enhancing relationships and coordinating programs across sectors to provide targeted recruitment, addressing socioeconomic and public health issues, and periodically evaluating physician satisfaction may be leverage points for physician recruitment and retention in WV.

Introduction: Study describes pipeline, training, and contextual experiences and factors that influence the decision to practice medicine in West Virginia (WV).

Methods: Cross-sectional study using descriptive statistics was conducted between November 2019 and March 2020 using an online link to an anonymous survey sent to all physicians licensed to practice medicine in WV with an email address on file with the WV Board of Medicine or WV Osteopathic Medical Association at the time of study.

Results: More WV medical school graduates identifying as a WV native practiced primary care than non-native WV medical graduates in this sample. More native WV medical graduates practiced primary care than non-native peers; however, both groups chose primary care at a greater rate than out-of-state medical school graduates. Returning to home communities and an established network of family and friends were influential factors for WV medical graduates. More WV natives completed residency in-state (n = 127) compared to out-of-state (n = 55). More than half of the sample (69.4%) participated in at least one pipeline program during medical school (n=153), residency (n = 86), undergraduate (n = 50), other graduate training (n = 18), or K-12 (n = 16). Approximately 24% of all respondents' primary practice was in a rural area, and 60% of respondents practiced in a primary care health profession shortage area.

Discussion: More native WV respondents are currently providing primary care and completed residency in-state compared to non-native respondents. The choice of primary care practice was similar across graduates of WV's three medical schools. A majority of respondents participated in pipeline programming though the effect on career and practice location decisions are unclear.

Conclusions: Continued recruitment of WV medical school graduates into in-state residency programs, concurrently with expanded primary care training placements and promotion, may increase the number and retention of WV primary care physicians in the coming years. Further study should examine factors that influence physician choice not to return to WV to practice after residency or fellowship training.