The cost of a primary care teaching program in a prepaid group practice.
Costs were determined for a teaching program in general pediatrics and general internal medicine for advanced residents in a prepaid group practice, the Medical Care Group of Washington University. A time and motion study was conducted to measure the productivity of faculty physicians before and after the establishment of the teaching program. There was a statistically significant loss in productivity for internists and an apparent loss, though not significant, for pediatricians as a result of their teaching effort, but the productivity of the residents more than compensated for the loss. The residual positive value of a full time equivalent (FTE) pediatric resident after reimbursement of all possible lost productivity by faculty pediatricians represented 43.9 per cent of a FTE pediatrician. For a FTE resident in internal medicine the residual positive value was 49.7 per cent of a FTE internist.
D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D004470:Economics, Medical; D004503:Education, Medical, Graduate; D004526:Efficiency; D005180:Faculty, Medical / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006123:Group Practice / Q000191:economics*; D007348:Insurance, Health; D007388:Internal Medicine / Q000193:education; D007396:Internship and Residency; D008923:Missouri; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000193:education; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000191:economics; D013996:Time and Motion Studies