Comments on Geographic Maldistribution of Primary Care for Children

The recent study by Shipman et al¹ is noteworthy, particularly given their focused examination of pediatric workforce data at the level of primary care service areas (PCSAs). As Shipman noted, although concerns regarding the number of primary care physicians have led to efforts to increase the number of trainees who elect careers in primary care, little has been done regarding the inequitable geographic distribution of the pediatric workforce. Although we agree that primary care for children across the United States may not be distributed equitably and support the need for further research in this area, some limitations can potentially threaten the interpretability of the results.

The workforce numbers that are reported annually by the American Board of Pediatrics (ABP) differ from those presented in the article. The main reason for the difference is the database used …