Journal of the American College of Surgeons
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Comparative Study
Rural hospitals face a higher burden of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm and are more likely to transfer patients for emergent repair.
The influence of rural hospital location on abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) outcomes is unknown. We undertook a study to determine the difference in the risk of ruptured AAA presentation and outcomes after ruptured AAA between rural and urban areas. ⋯ Rural hospitals face a disproportionate burden of ruptured AAA and are more likely to transfer patients with ruptured AAA without performing repair, compared with urban hospitals. Solutions to rural disparity in ruptured AAA outcomes should focus on improving rural patients' access to vascular surgeons for elective and emergent AAA repair.
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Based on the goals of health care reform, growth in the demand for health care will continue to increase the demand for physicians and, as physician shortages widen, advanced practice nurses (APNs) and physician assistants (PAs) will play larger roles. Together with physicians they constitute a workforce of "advanced clinicians." The objective of this study was to assess the capacity of this combined workforce to meet the future demand for clinical services. ⋯ The nation faces a substantial shortfall in its combined supply of physicians, APNs, and PAs, even under aggressive training scenarios, and deeper shortages if these scenarios are not achieved. Efforts must be made to expand the output of clinicians in all 3 disciplines, while also strengthening the infrastructure of clinical practice and facilitating the delegation of tasks to a broadened spectrum of caregivers in new models of care.