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2019 Completed Studies
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Does Distance Learning Expand Access to MSW Education in Rural and Underserved Areas and Facilitate Greater Diversity among Social Work Students?
Distance learning in social work has proliferated in recent years to meet student demand for flexible learning opportunities. Online and blended programs are increasingly promoted as a strategy for diversifying the social work workforce and expanding access to graduate education for individuals in rural and under-served communities. This study assesses the accuracy of these claims by analyzing survey data on recent Master of Social Work (MSW) graduates. Controlling for educational and personal characteristics, we evaluate whether participation in an online or blended MSW program (1) is associated with practice in rural or underserved areas and (2) increases diversity in the field. For questions about this study, contact Edward Salsberg. Related Products:
Retention and Attrition of Medicare Buprenorphine Prescribers
The shortage of clinicians that have received waivers under the Drug Addiction Treatment Act (DATA) of 2000 to provide medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorder is becoming more salient with the ongoing opioid epidemic. While studies have shown a substantial number of DATA-waived physicians never begin prescribing buprenorphine, little is known about how many continue to prescribe buprenorphine once they start. This study provides new insights on retention and attrition of buprenorphine providers. For questions about this study, contact Clese Erikson. Related Products:
The Impact of National Health Service Corps & Non-Corps Clinician Staffing on Financial Costs in Community Health CenterS
The National Health Service Corps (NHSC) is an important source of clinician staffing for community health centers (CHCs). In Year 5, researchers from our team compared the marginal productivity (measured as visits per additional staff) for NHSC and non-NHSC clinicians in CHCs, and found that productivity for NHSC clinicians is similar to that of non-NHSC clinicians in primary care, but is higher for NHSC clinicians in mental health care. However, whether NHSC staffing reduces total costs of care in CHCs remains unknown. This study compared the marginal effect of NHSC and non-NHSC clinician staffing on medical and mental health care costs and administrative costs in CHCs. For questions about this study, contact Patricia Pittman. Related Products:
Understanding Why Nurse Practitioner (NP) and Physician Assistant (PA) Productivity Varies Across Community Health Centers (CHCs): A Comparative Analysis
The growth of nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs), or Advanced Practitioner Clinicians (APCs) in the primary care workforce has far exceeded the growth of primary care physicians (PCP) in community health centers (CHCs) over the last decade, yet their productivity varies dramatically across organizations. In this study, we asked what organizational characteristics are causing this variation to occur. For questions about this study, contact Patricia Pittman. Related Products:
Use of Temporary Providers in Primary Care in Federally Qualified Health Centers
The use of temporary health care providers, such as locum tenens and on-call providers, has increased in the US in recent years, but data is lacking on their use in federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) that often face extreme difficulties and delays in recruiting staff. Temporary providers might be an important staffing solution for FQHCs, both to bridge to permanent hires and to maintain patient service in more challenging health professional shortage and recruitment areas, including rural areas. However, an important question remains on whether temporary providers were generally used to fill vacancies in FQHCs, especially rural FQHCs that face more severe staffing problems. This study provides a landscape of temporary provider usage in FQHCs and identifies factors associated with their use. For questions about this study, contact Patricia Pittman. Related Products:
These projects are supported by the Bureau of Health Workforce (BHW), National Center for Health Workforce Analysis (NCHWA), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of an award totaling $450,000, with zero percent financed with non-governmental sources. The contents are those of the author[s] and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. Government. |