Evaluated Title VII funding influences on primary care physicians to locate in areas containing populations of interest to HRSA, and areas in which these populations seek health care.

An exploratory study to learn more about the trend of hospitals to self insure and their use of different models for medical malpractice coverage.

QRS evaluated Title VII funding influences on primary care physicians to locate in areas containing populations of interest to HRSA, and areas in which these populations seek health care.  This evaluation compared Title VII exposed primary care physicians to primary care physicians not trained in residency programs funded by Title VII, as well as non-primary care physicians. 

The evaluation demonstrated that recent graduates of residency programs funded by Title VII exhibited a greater response to program funding than did graduates across all years; this was expected in that much has been written about physician behavior after a few years of practicing in remote or underserved areas.  The evaluation also found that graduates of US medical schools (USMGs) were influenced by Title VII more than graduates of international medical schools (IMGs). While differences were often modest, they consistently indicate an impact from Title VII exposure.

The response (or lack of response) to Title VII influence was determined by the percent of a category of physicians practicing at various distances from a population or site of interest.  For example, if 10 percent of all Title VII influenced physicians practiced within one mile of a Rural Health Center and 7 percent of all non-Title VII influenced physicians practiced within a mile of an RHC, Title VII was considered to have had a positive impact.