Practice, clinical management, and financial arrangements of practicing generalists.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the practice settings, financial arrangements, and management strategies experienced by generalist physicians and identify factors associated with reporting pressure to limit referrals, pressure to see more patients, and career dissatisfaction.


METHODS
Cross-sectional mail survey.


METHODS
Six hundred nineteen generalist physicians (62% response rate) caring for managed care patients in 3 Minnesota health plans during 1999.


RESULTS
Twenty-six percent of physicians reported pressure to limit referrals. In adjusted analyses, female physicians and those who were board certified acted as gatekeepers for most of their patients, received incentives based on performance reports and quality profiles, and received direct income from capitation, and were more likely than others to report this pressure (all P <.05). Sixty-two percent reported pressure to see more patients. In adjusted analyses, this pressure was more frequent among physicians in practices owned by health systems, those using physician extenders, and among physicians paid by salary with performance adjustment or those receiving at least some capitation (all P <.05). One-quarter (24%) of physicians were dissatisfied with their career in medicine. In adjusted analyses, physicians reporting pressure to limit referrals (risk ratio, 1.12; 95% confidence interval, 1.01 to 1.19) and those reporting pressure to see more patients (risk ratio, 1.37; 95% confidence interval, 1.08 to 1.66) were more likely to be dissatisfied than other physicians.


CONCLUSIONS
Pressures to limit referrals and to see more patients are common, particularly among physicians paid based on productivity or capitation, and they are associated with career dissatisfaction. Whether future changes in practice arrangements or compensation strategies can decrease such physician-reported pressures, and ultimately improve physician satisfaction, will be an important area for future study.
Keating
Nancy L
NL
Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA. keating@hcp.med.harvard.edu
Landon
Bruce E
BE
Ayanian
John Z
JZ
Borbas
Catherine
C
Guadagnoli
Edward
E
D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005194:Family Practice / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005260:Female; D005376:Financial Management; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008297:Male; D008329:Managed Care Programs / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D008875:Middle Aged; D008910:Minnesota; D011216:Practice Management, Medical; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D017009:Professional Autonomy; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D000078329:Workforce