Tech Talk
Rheumatologists looking to open a rural practice need to realize there are also technologies that can help mitigate the distance from patients, as well. When choosing an office location, they should consider the impact of telemedicine, Dr. Welch says.
“The population base may be small, but with one specialist in a rural area, [the practice] will be overcrowded with patients,” she adds. “Telemedicine does help on a daily basis, and it is invaluable on nights and weekends.”
Culture Shock
Dr. Welch, who teaches a freshman-level cultural geography course that includes site selection, says the physical location of an office is always important in a rural area, but “cultural competency” is paramount to making the office a success.
Being a rheumatologist in a rural area means knowing “how to discern what ‘I’ll pray about it’ means. Or how to talk to an elderly patient with respect. Or never talking politics.”
“If you come in with a good attitude and your first few patients learn to trust you, [that’s priceless.] You can’t buy that kind of advertising,” she says. “They’ll tell others in the community and their churches, and your practice will overflow. By the same token, blow a cultural moment, and you will sink. … Understand the economic challenges and the strong privacy issues that go with those for many rural patients. There are many cultural competencies in rural places that divide on class, education, tradition and religion. These competencies can make or break small-town doctors.”
Richard Quinn is a freelance writer in New Jersey.
