TY - JOUR
AU - G. J. Privitera
AU - J. J. Gillespie
AU - A. Pamula
AU - B. J. Piper
A1 - 
AB - Physician workload is known to impact provider well-being and individual patient encounters, but less is understood about how provider availability affects broader community health outcomes. Primary care physicians (PCPs) often serve as de facto mental health providers, particularly in underserved communities. This study evaluated whether PCP and mental health provider workload, measured by provider-to-resident ratios, predict population-level physical and mental health outcomes. County-level data from the 2024 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation County Health Rankings dataset (N = 3142 counties) were analyzed using two path analysis models; such models are used to estimate both direct and indirect relationships among multiple predictors and outcomes simultaneously. Predictor variables included provider ratios, percent uninsured (mediator), and self-reported physically and mentally unhealthy days (outcomes). Higher PCP workload was significantly associated with greater numbers of poor physical and mental health days. Mental health provider ratios were not directly associated with either outcome. Indirect effects through the percent uninsured were also significant, particularly for physical health outcomes. These findings suggest that PCPs play a disproportionate role in shaping both mental and physical health at the community level. The analysis supports the conclusion that addressing provider shortages and improving insurance coverage can enhance health outcomes, particularly when efforts are integrated into collaborative care models that distribute workload across providers and align treatment approaches with the diverse psychosocial and medical needs of the populations they serve.
AD - Department of Psychology, St. Bonaventure University, St. Bonaventure, New York, USA.; Department of Business & Economics, St. Mary's College, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA.; Geisinger Commonwealth, School of Medicine, Scranton, Pennsylvania, USA.
AN - 40501334
BT - Popul Health Manag
C5 - Education & Workforce
DA - Jun 12
DO - 10.1089/pop.2025.0080
DP - NLM
ET - 20250612
JF - Popul Health Manag
LA - eng
N2 - Physician workload is known to impact provider well-being and individual patient encounters, but less is understood about how provider availability affects broader community health outcomes. Primary care physicians (PCPs) often serve as de facto mental health providers, particularly in underserved communities. This study evaluated whether PCP and mental health provider workload, measured by provider-to-resident ratios, predict population-level physical and mental health outcomes. County-level data from the 2024 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation County Health Rankings dataset (N = 3142 counties) were analyzed using two path analysis models; such models are used to estimate both direct and indirect relationships among multiple predictors and outcomes simultaneously. Predictor variables included provider ratios, percent uninsured (mediator), and self-reported physically and mentally unhealthy days (outcomes). Higher PCP workload was significantly associated with greater numbers of poor physical and mental health days. Mental health provider ratios were not directly associated with either outcome. Indirect effects through the percent uninsured were also significant, particularly for physical health outcomes. These findings suggest that PCPs play a disproportionate role in shaping both mental and physical health at the community level. The analysis supports the conclusion that addressing provider shortages and improving insurance coverage can enhance health outcomes, particularly when efforts are integrated into collaborative care models that distribute workload across providers and align treatment approaches with the diverse psychosocial and medical needs of the populations they serve.
PY - 2025
SN - 1942-7891
ST - Physician Workload Attenuates the Impact of Mental Health Care Workload on Community Health Outcomes: Implications for Distributing Provider Workload
T1 - Physician Workload Attenuates the Impact of Mental Health Care Workload on Community Health Outcomes: Implications for Distributing Provider Workload
T2 - Popul Health Manag
TI - Physician Workload Attenuates the Impact of Mental Health Care Workload on Community Health Outcomes: Implications for Distributing Provider Workload
U1 - Education & Workforce
U3 - 10.1089/pop.2025.0080
VO - 1942-7891
Y1 - 2025
ER -