Mapping Tool Helps Locate Healthcare Providers

By Katie Wike, contributing writer

The AMA has announced an online mapping tool which will show patients the locations of providers nationwide.

The American Medical Association (AMA) has announced a new tool is available on its website which will use geospatial mapping to “workforce trends to assist providers in closing the gaps in patient access to care.” According to Government Health IT, this interactive online tool will show users the locations of healthcare providers and hospitals in each state as well as highlight where there are physician shortages.

“This unique new mapping tool gives physicians and other healthcare providers unprecedented information using reliable AMA data and other sources to see exactly where healthcare services are needed most,” said AMA President Robert Wah, MD, in a prepared statement. “Providers can use this information to help them make the best decisions on where to locate or expand their practices to reach patients in greatest need of access to care.”

Additionally, this information will be important for policymakers who decide where more providers and funding are needed. “In addition, the AMA's Health Workforce Mapper can help new physicians close the gap in patient access to care by giving residents and medical students access to important information that allows them to see, from state-to-state, where there are shortages in certain medical specialties.”

Earlier this year, the University of North Carolina launched an online tool to assess the physician shortage and “help policy makers, physicians, and health systems better plan where to practice and what type of practitioners will be needed to meet the growing utilization of healthcare in the United States.”