The influence of payer mix and visit volume on NRMP match rates for community-based family medicine residency programs.
BACKGROUND
With declining U.S. medical student interest in family medicine, it is important to study factors that may predict for individual residency program fill rates. Predictors of family medicine residency program match rates are few, with location by region of the country being the best predictor. Using a limited database, this study evaluated whether community-based residency program match rates are associated with patient visit volume and payer status.


METHODS
An existing database of characteristics of 42 community-based family medicine residency programs was analyzed for associations of match rate with patient visit volume and with insurance payer status.


RESULTS
Nonsignificant correlations were calculated for match rate with the following factors: patient visit volume per provider, percentage of patient visits with no insurance or with Medicaid payment, percentage of visits with Medicare payment, and percentage of visits with private third party payers. A marginal negative association of match rate with percentage of patient visits with Medicare payment was not significant when adjusted for region of the country.


CONCLUSIONS
In this study, neither patient visit volume nor payer status were predictive of match rate for community-based family medicine residency programs. Limitations to this study are acknowledged.
Carlisle
Robert
R
Department of Family Medicine, West Virginia University, PO Box 9152, Morgantown, WV 26506-9152, USA. carlisler@rcbhsc.wvu.edu
Shannon
C Ken
CK
D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003153:Community Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016208:Databases, Factual; D005194:Family Practice / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D019458:Insurance Coverage; D007348:Insurance, Health; D007396:Internship and Residency / Q000458:organization & administration*; D014481:United States