Dataset Information

Trends and quality of care in outpatient visits to generalist and specialist physicians delivering primary care in the United States, 1997-2010.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Although many specialists serve as primary care physicians (PCPs), the type of patients they serve, the range of services they provide, and the quality of care they deliver is uncertain.

Objective

To describe trends in patient, physician, and visit characteristics, and compare visit-based quality for visits to generalists and specialists self-identified as PCPs.

Design

Cross-sectional study and time trend analysis.

Data

Nationally representative sample of visits to office-based physicians from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, 1997-2010.

Main measures

Proportions of primary care visits to generalist and specialists, patient characteristics, principal diagnoses, and quality.

Key results

Among 84,041 visits to self-identified PCPs representing an estimated 4.0 billion visits, 91.5 % were to generalists, 5.9 % were to medical specialists and 2.6 % were to obstetrician/gynecologists. The proportion of PCP visits to generalists increased from 88.4 % in 1997 to 92.4 % in 2010, but decreased for medical specialists from 8.0 % to 4.8 %, p?=?0.04). The proportion of medical specialist visits in which the physician self-identified as the patient's PCP decreased from 30.6 % in 1997 to 9.8 % in 2010 (p?ConclusionsMedical specialists are less frequently serving as PCPs for their patients over time. Generalist, medical specialist, and obstetrician/gynecologist PCPs serve different primary care roles for different populations. Delivery redesign efforts must account for the evolving role of generalist and specialist PCPs in the delivery of primary care.

SUBMITTER: Edwards ST

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4026490 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Trends and quality of care in outpatient visits to generalist and specialist physicians delivering primary care in the United States, 1997-2010.

Edwards Samuel T ST Mafi John N JN Landon Bruce E BE

Journal of general internal medicine 20140225 6

<h4>Background</h4>Although many specialists serve as primary care physicians (PCPs), the type of patients they serve, the range of services they provide, and the quality of care they deliver is uncertain.<h4>Objective</h4>To describe trends in patient, physician, and visit characteristics, and compare visit-based quality for visits to generalists and specialists self-identified as PCPs.<h4>Design</h4>Cross-sectional study and time trend analysis.<h4>Data</h4>Nationally representative sample of ...[more]

PMID: 24567201

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Dataset Information

Trends and quality of care in outpatient visits to generalist and specialist physicians delivering primary care in the United States, 1997-2010.

Background

Objective

Design

Data

Main measures

Key results

Publications

Trends and quality of care in outpatient visits to generalist and specialist physicians delivering primary care in the United States, 1997-2010.

Similar Datasets

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