Exploration of Alternative Secondary Data Sources for HPSA Designation: Expansion of Washington State Case Study
Description:
Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) designations are used for the allocation of funds for a variety of federal programs, and the accurate and complete measurement of the factors that are used to determine a shortage area is important. One of the preliminary findings of a current UW CHWS study is that data contained in the Shortage Designation Management System (SDMS) associated with a National Provider Identifier (NPI) are not adequate to accurately complete Washington State’s HPSA scoring process. We will identify additional secondary data sources, such as the Office of the Insurance Commissioner (OIC) network adequacy records, state physician waiver records, and all-payer claims data, among others, that may allow more efficient determination of practice and provider characteristics. Additionally, we will assess the time and resources needed to incorporate these data sources into the state HPSA designation process.
Lead Researcher: Benjamin A. Stubbs, MPH
Contact Info: bstubbs@uw.edu
Funder:
HRSA: HWRC Allied Health
Status:
In Progress