Factors and Outcomes in Primary Care Physician Retention in Rural Areas

Background: This paper examines factors influencing physicians' decisions to practise in rural communities as well as the results of a programme focused on rural recruitment and retention. Methods: Data from two sources were analysed and discussed: 1) telephone interviews with 20 of 33 (61) recently located rural physicians regarding practice and community factors influencing their practice decisions and 2) a database of 107 graduates of a rural medical education programme who have been in practice for at least three years to examine specialty choice and practice location(s); including moves from their original practice sites. Results: Most rural physicians in this study decided to practise in rural areas because of family ties. Eighty per cent of the physicians participating in the interviews mentioned no negative personal or family factors related to their community of practice. Outcome data on graduates from the rural medical education programme are encouraging. Over 70opt for primary care and rural practice. Over 80have remained in their original rural practice location. Conclusion: Keys to success in rural physician retention seem to include identifying and recruiting medical students ofrural origin and focusing on a healthy practice environment. Policy makers need to work with local government; schools and employers to offer programmes that provide information on health careers in rural areas and begin to identify local youth for induction in rural health care

Disminución inducida por drogas del espesor de la membrana basal capilar en diabetes / Drug-induced decrease of muscle capillary basement membrane thickness in diabetes

Se realizaron tres biopsias musculares en 53 diabéticos no insulinodependientes durante un período de aproximadamente dos años. Al inicio 21 (40%) tuvieron un aumento en el espesor de la membrana basal capilar de músculo; 35 pacientes recibieron glipizida y 18 recibieron placebo. En los pacientes que recibieron placebo, la medida de espesor de la membrana basal capilar de músculo aumentó de 158,7 ñ 11,5 nm (SEM) a 170,9 ñ 14,7 nm (P = NS), pero en aquéllos que recibieron glipizida el valor disminuyó de 192,9 ñ 13,2 nm a 161,0 ñ 10,2 nm (P = 0,02). La glucosa plasmática y la hemoglobina glucosilada disminuyeron significativamente (P < 0,001) después de dos años en los pacientes que recibieron glicpizida. En 15, la media de la hemoglobina glucosilada A1 alcanzó un rango normal, mientras que el espesor medio de la membrana basal disminuyó a un nivel cercano al encontrado en sujetos sin diabetes (P = NS). Estos hallazgos concuerdan con la hipótesis de uqe la respuesta efectiva a la medicación oral puede disminuir el espesor de la membrana basal, sugiriendo que la microangiopatía diabética no es necesariamente progresiva