What is it about?

This research looked at where ear, nose, and throat (ENT) doctors/surgeons are located in Vermont and how far patients across the state have to travel to see them. We found that these specialists are not evenly spread out across the state. People living in rural towns have to travel much farther, over twice the distance on average, to reach a major ENT center that offers full services compared to people in cities and towns. However, smaller local ENT clinics are actually closer for many rural residents.

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Why is it important?

These findings suggest that while these local ENT clinics can help with more common issues and reduce travel for basic care, they may not offer all the advanced services some patients need. The study highlights a gap: people in rural areas still face a significant hurdle to accessing the full range of specialized ENT care without traveling long distances. Understanding this pattern is a crucial first step in planning how to make these important medical services more equally available to all Vermonters.

Perspectives

This article was a great pleasure to write as all the co-authors live in Vermont, which means we understand the struggle that some patients might face across the state in accessing doctors. Moreover, I learned to use ArcGIS to better understand and illustrate Vermont's population and the locations of ENT surgeons.

Dr. Christopher P. Kruglik
Emory University

Read the Original

This page is a summary of: Geospatial Analysis of Rural–Urban Access of Otolaryngology‐Head and Neck Surgeons and Clinics in Vermont, Laryngoscope Investigative Otolaryngology, December 2025, Wiley,
DOI: 10.1002/lio2.70308.
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