How do Locum Tenens Physicians Shape Rural Healthcare Satisfaction and Health Outcomes? Evidence From China

Persistent shortages of primary‐care physicians in rural regions constitute a universal barrier to equitable healthcare‐system performance. Whether locum tenens physicians may help alleviate this challenge, particularly in relation to healthcare satisfaction and health outcomes, remains empirically unresolved. Based on data from a nationally representative household survey in China, this study examines the association between locum tenens physicians and rural residents’ healthcare satisfaction and health outcomes. The results show that the presence of locum tenens physicians in village clinics is positively associated with rural residents’ healthcare satisfaction but is not significantly associated with self‐rated health. The analysis of possible pathways suggests that locum tenens physicians are associated with a lower likelihood of self‐treatment, a lower medical expenditure burden and better health management. Heterogeneity tests show that these associations are markedly larger in remote and impoverished areas. Furthermore, locum tenens physicians are associated with the greatest satisfaction gains when embedded in telemedicine networks and county‐level integrated care groups, suggesting that stronger health‐system support may enhance these relationships. These findings support promoting locum tenens physicians in rural areas with substantial shortages of primary‐care physicians to improve healthcare satisfaction, while emphasising the need to strengthen health performance management for broader improvements in population health.