Contact: Maridith Geuder
In a state now underserved by physicians, the future prospects look even bleaker, according to a policy paper released this week by Mississippi State. Jeralynn S. Cossman, a medical sociologist at the university, recently completed a survey of more than 600 Mississippi physicians. Using the information and three existing databases, she then compared the state's physician labor force to that of the nation.
"Mississippi's Physician Labor Force: Current Status and Future Concerns" is being issued through the SSRC's Mississippi Health Policy Research Center, which was formed earlier this year to provide research-based data about health issues critical to Mississippi. The center is supported by the Jackson-based Bower Foundation, which has a goal of improving the health status of all Mississippians.
Crossman is a faculty member in the department of sociology, anthropology and social work. She also is a research fellow at MSU's nationally recognized Social Science Research Center.
She said major findings in the study include, among others:
Mississippi has two doctors for every 1,000 residents, compared to three per 1,000 nationally.
A disproportionate number of doctors are in urban areas, with more than one-quarter of the state's physicians in the Jackson metro area alone. The study shows 51 of the state's 82 counties underserved, and only 12 percent of Mississippi's doctors located in the Delta.
Physicians in Mississippi do not reflect the state's demographic makeup, either in race or gender. Approximately 90 percent are Caucasian, higher than the national average of 75-80 percent.
"In a state in which more than 36 percent of residents are African-American, race may have a bearing on the interaction between patient and doctor," Cossman observed.
While the report highlights the shortage of physicians in general, it shows a particular lack of primary care physicians. The survey also revealed that:
Among doctors age 35-44, approximately 70 percent have considered relocating;
Of those under 35, approximately 32 percent actually intend to relocate; and
Making matters even worse, more than 70 percent of doctors 55-64 are considering early retirement.
"Mississippi's current physician shortages may be headed for worsening, and perhaps devastating, impacts," Crossman said.
Developing a centralized database on the state's physicians, assessing recruitment and retention programs for currently practicing physicians, tracking Mississippi residents attending out-of-state medical schools, and assessing programs to recruit and retain more minority and female physicians are among the policy research recommendations she provides in the report's conclusion.
"This policy paper is the first in a series and applies objective research to a significant issue facing our state," said Arthur G. Cosby, director of both the SSRC and Mississippi Health Policy Research Center. "It presents options for future research and provides a framework for discussion of how resources may best be applied to mitigate an increasing and critical shortage."
For more information on the study, telephone Cossman at (662) 325-7127. The full report is available at http://www.healthpolicy.msstate.edu/publications/laborforcereport/ .