 January 2003 • Volume 9 • Number 1 |
The Robert Graham Center in Washington recently released three one-page research summaries. The new data offer insight into practice patterns of family physicians.
The first one-pager says family physicians are the predominant source of care for the Medicare population, particularly for underserved minorities and those living in rural areas. Using the most recent Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, researchers found that 91 percent of respondents 65 and older reported having a usual source of health care. Of those, 60 percent identified their source as a family physician or general practitioner. The next most frequently identified usual source of care was the general internist. Facilities such as clinics and hospitals were named by 28 percent of respondents as their usual source of care.
The second one-pager reports a substantial decline in prenatal care by family physicians over the past 20 years in all geographic regions of the United States. Using data from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, researchers found that FPs/GPs provided 17.3 percent of all prenatal visits in the early period examined (1980 - 1992), but only 10.2 percent of visits in the later period (1993 - 1999). Most strikingly, the report states, there was a 50 percent drop in prenatal visits to FPs/GPs in nonmetropolitan statistical areas. The Midwest saw the greatest percentage drop in prenatal visits, from 15.5 percent in the early period to 6.1 percent in the later period.
Despite the decline in prenatal services, the third one-pager notes that over the past 20 years, FPs/GPs, as well as pediatricians, have upheld their commitment to preventive care for infants. In fact, FPs/GPs have increased their overall provision of well-infant care, from 11.1 million visits in the early period (1980 1992) to 12.6 million visits in the later period (1993 1999), although the percentage of total well-infant visits performed by FPs/GPs declined slightly, from 20.9 percent to 18.9 percent. FPs/GPs made their greatest percentage contribution to well-infant care in nonmetropolitan statistical areas, the report states, increasing from 43 percent in the early period to 45.6 percent in the later period.
To read the documents, go to http://www.graham-center.org/library.xml and scroll down to "One-Pagers."
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