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Doctors are more likely to stay in underserved areas when they feel welcomed. A new JAMA Network Open study found that community integration and having family needs met were both independently linked to physicians planning to stay in Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) beyond two years. The findings held true for both rural and urban shortage areas.
Keeping doctors in underserved communities may come down to something surprisingly human: feeling at home. A new study published in JAMA Network Open found that physicians working in Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) — both rural and urban — were significantly more likely to plan on staying beyond two years when they felt socially integrated into their community and when the community met their family's needs (think: good schools, safe neighborhoods, employment for spouses, and social connections).
Researchers analyzed survey data from 1,074 physicians (351 rural, 723 urban) who received loan repayment through the National Health Service Corps between 2014 and 2024. Both community needs fulfillment and community integration were independently and comparably associated with anticipated retention in rural and urban settings alike — with no significant difference between the two groups.
Key Takeaways:
Why it matters: Physician shortages in underserved areas are a persistent crisis. This research suggests that beyond financial incentives like loan repayment, investing in community-level supports — social belonging, family resources, and safety — could be a powerful and underutilized tool for keeping doctors where they're needed most.
