Physician patterns in the provision of health care to their own employees.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the level of medical and mental health care that family physicians provide to employees.


METHODS
Mailed survey.


METHODS
Family practices in Oklahoma.


METHODS
Two hundred ninety-one of 735 physicians assessed via the membership roster of the Oklahoma Academy of Family Physicians.


RESULTS
The majority of physician respondents (55.6%) reported providing routine health care always or most of the time to employees. Rural practice sites were associated with the provision of broader medical services (Spearman's p = -.35, P < .00001); 51.7% of respondents reported providing routine health care always or most of the time to employees' families. Breast and genital examinations were more likely to be undertaken in family members (67.2%) compared with employees (50.0%). Only a minority of physician respondents (12.3%) reported providing mental health care always or most of the time to employees; 53% never or rarely provided this service. When mental health care was addressed, respondents provided counseling alone (28.6%), prescription of psychotropic medication alone (8.8%), or both (62.7%). Antidepressants (50.7%) and nonbenzodiazepine anxiolytic agents (36.2%) were most frequently prescribed. When asked about ideal conditions, a significant minority of physician respondents (41.3%) preferred to refer employees to colleagues for medical care, and 59.8% preferred to refer for mental health care.


CONCLUSIONS
The majority of family physicians in this study reported providing medical care to their employees, whereas only a minority provide mental health care.
Sansome
R A
RA
Department of Psychiatry, University of Oklahoma, College of Medicine, Tulsa, USA.
Sansone
L A
LA
Wiederman
M W
MW
D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004651:Employment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005192:Family Health; D005194:Family Practice; D006801:Humans; D008603:Mental Health; D009825:Oklahoma; D010548:Personal Health Services / Q000191:economics / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D010821:Physicians, Family / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D000078329:Workforce