A telephone survey of all non-governmental obstetricians, family physicians, general practitioners, and osteopathic physicians in rural Arizona was undertaken to determine the effects of medical liability issues on the availability of rural obstetrical services. One hundred ninety-one (88.8%) responded, and after exclusion of those who had never provided obstetrical care, 126 physicians remained for evaluation. These included 32 obstetricians, 55 family physicians, 25 general practitioners, and 14 osteopaths. During the past three years, 26 (20.6%) had discontinued providing obstetrical service, citing liability issues as the reason. An additional 12 physicians (9.5%) planned to discontinue obstetrics upon expiration of their 1986 malpractice insurance policy. By the end of 1986, the number of obstetrical providers in rural Arizona will have decreased by 30.1 percent. Women in many rural areas already have pregnancy outcomes that are inferior to their urban counterparts. A further decrease in the availability of obstetrical providers may have additional adverse effect on pregnancy outcomes.
Interest in complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has grown significantly in the United States. In response, numerous medical and nursing schools are now offering CAM courses. Considering the significant overlap of many CAM and public health objectives, it seems prudent for Schools of Public Health to also consider inclusion of this content into graduate training. This study examined the current status of CAM courses in public health programs. Interviews were conduct ed with school representatives attending the American Public Health Association annual meeting in Boston (November, 2000). School representatives reported a substantial interest in CAM among students and faculty, and that many schools were currently offering or considering CAM courses.
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