The challenge of defining and counting generalist physicians
An analysis of Physician Masterfile data
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 11024862 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Kevin Grumbach (0000-0002-7809-214X, Public Policy Institute of California), S H Becker, Scott Becker, E H Osborn, Andrew B Bindman (0000-0002-6161-0609) |
| Year | 1995 |
| Volume | 85 |
| Issue | 10 |
| Pages | 1402-1407 |
| Publication date | 1995-10-01 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | American Journal of Public Health (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0090-0036 • E-ISSN: 1541-0048 |
| Publisher | American Public Health Association (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.2105/ajph.85.10.1402 |
| PMID | 7573625 |
| OpenAlex | W1964461026 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 12 |
| References cited | 17 |
OBJECTIVES. The study reviewed methods for measuring the specialty distribution of the US physician workforce. It was hypothesized that current databases and measurement conventions overestimate the number of generalist physicians. METHODS. A descriptive analysis of the American Medical Association (AMA) Physician Masterfile for California was done with different assumptions about the definition of generalists based on primary and secondary specialty information. RESULTS. A rigorous definition of generalist physician that excludes physicians with secondary practices in specialist fields resulted in an estimate of generalist physicians 25% lower than the number estimated by conventional workforce evaluation methods. Physicians who reported practicing in both generalist and specialist fields were more likely to be older, to be international medical school graduates, and to be in solo or duo practice compared with physicians who listed only generalist or specialist fields. CONCLUSIONS. The actual number of generalist physicians in the United States may be less than previously believed. Although the exact magnitude of the "hidden system" of specialists providing primary care is difficult to measure, at least a portion appear to already be counted as generalist physicians by current conventions
Descriptive statistics · Family medicine · Generalist and specialist species · Political science · Primary care · Specialty · Statistics · Workforce · Diversity and Career in Medicine · Ecology · Global Health Workforce Issues · Mathematics · Medicine · Primary Care and Health Outcomes
Hospitalization rates as indicators of access to primary care
Spatial accessibility to pediatric primary care in Philadelphia
Multilevel Analysis of the Determinants of Receipt of Clinical Preventive Services among Reproductive-Age Women
Do International Medical Graduates (IMGs) “Fill the Gap” in Rural Primary Care in the United States? A National Study
Using the American Medical Association Physician Masterfile to Measure Physician Supply in Small Towns
How Many Rural Doctors Do We Have
The Adoption and Use of Health Information Technology in Rural Areas
The scope of the data available in the AMA's Physician Masterfile
Grumbach and Bindman Respond
State health agencies' role in a more balanced and sophisticated tobacco control program
Do International Medical Graduates Reduce Rural Physician Shortages
Self-Reported Physician Specialties and the Primary Care Content of Medical Practice
| Citations per year | 0.4 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 1996 - 2019 (24) |
| Highly cited | No |