This overview of rural health care today shows the role that
internal medicine can and should play in delivering primary care
to rural populations.The American College of Physicians
recommends changes to improve access to and delivery of primary
care in rural areas. There are six specific recommendations.
1.Implementing universal health care coverage through a system
that makes primary care equally affordable to rural populations.
2.Increasing the supply of primary care providers in rural areas
by lessening specialty and geographic differentials in physician
income. 3.Increasing the supply of primary care providers in
rural areas by changing medical education to emphasize training
enough rural physicians. 4.Decreasing professional isolation in
rural areas through accessible continuing medical education and
through telecommunications technology. 5.Identifying tertiary
care needs at the community level and using state and federal
funds to assist rural hospitals where access to care would be
threatened by hospit