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ABSTRACT: Background
The growing number of primary care physicians (PCPs) reducing their clinical work hours has raised concerns about meeting the future demand for services and fulfilling the continuity and access mandates for patient-centered care. However, the patient's experience of care with part-time physicians is relatively unknown, and may be mediated by continuity and access to care outcomes.Objective
We aimed to examine the relationships between a physicians' clinical full-time equivalent (FTE), continuity of care, access to care, and patient satisfaction with the physician.Design
We used a multi-level structural equation estimation, with continuity and access modeled as mediators, for a cross-section in 2010.Participants
The study included family medicine (n?=?104) and internal medicine (n?=?101) physicians in a multi-specialty group practice, along with their patient satisfaction survey responses (n?=?12,688).Main measures
Physician level FTE, continuity of care received by patients, continuity of care provided by physician, and a Press Ganey patient satisfaction with the physician score, on a 0-100 % scale, were measured. Access to care was measured as days to the third next-available appointment.Key results
Physician FTE was directly associated with better continuity of care received (0.172% per FTE, p?ConclusionsThese results suggest that PCPs who choose to work fewer clinical hours may have worse continuity and access, but they may provide a better patient experience. Physician workforce planning should consider these care attributes when considering the role of part-time PCPs in practice redesign efforts and initiatives to meet the demand for primary care services.
SUBMITTER: Panattoni L
PROVIDER: S-EPMC4351271 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Mar
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Panattoni Laura L Stone Ashley A Chung Sukyung S Tai-Seale Ming M
Journal of general internal medicine 20141122 3
<h4>Background</h4>The growing number of primary care physicians (PCPs) reducing their clinical work hours has raised concerns about meeting the future demand for services and fulfilling the continuity and access mandates for patient-centered care. However, the patient's experience of care with part-time physicians is relatively unknown, and may be mediated by continuity and access to care outcomes.<h4>Objective</h4>We aimed to examine the relationships between a physicians' clinical full-time e ...[more]