title: A comparison of hospital outpatient departments and private practice.
abstract: This article addresses cost differences between primary care physicians in private practice and hospital outpatient departments (OPD's). The analysis utilizes ambulatory visit groups (AVG's), the outpatient equivalent of diagnosis-related groups (DRG's), to adjust for case mix. Major findings are that OPD's have higher per visit costs than physicians' private offices; internists are more expensive than general practitioners regardless of site; and ancillary service costs are actually slightly higher in private practice. Any prospective payment system for ambulatory care must consider these costs differences.
mesh_terms: D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D003953:Diagnosis-Related Groups / Q000191:economics; D010044:Outpatient Clinics, Hospital / Q000191:economics*; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000191:economics*; D011331:Private Practice / Q000191:economics*; D014481:United States