Introduction

Thirty-two years ago, the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) made a commitment to providing market research on its members that would assist health care marketers in targeting family physicians. Over the years, the type of data presented has changed slightly, but one thing remains constant -- the desire to provide insight into the behavior of family physicians.

This research represents the thirty-second consecutive survey conducted by the AAFP on journal reading habits and member practice patterns.

As one of the largest medical specialty organizations (more than 94,600 members), the AAFP is recognized as the nation's top advocate for family medicine.

Family physicians treat the whole person within the context of family and community:

Office visits to family physicians represent about 23 percent of all patient visits,¹ although FPs represent only 12 percent of all physicians.²

FPs write 27 percent of all prescriptions issued during office visits, more than any other single specialty.¹

Family medicine is recognized as a specialty that is essential to managed care. The broad scope of family medicine helps reduce excessive costs and increases access to healthcare. Family physicians are the most frequently designated primary care providers, or "coordinators of care," for managed care organizations (MCOs).

With the importance of family physicians in the marketplace, savvy healthcare marketers target this key specialty. Accordingly, the AAFP has undertaken to provide critical information on its physician members to assist in targeting and reaching family physicians.