Younger Physicians in HMOS Don't Feel Strong Sense of Responsibility to Individual Patients

Main Category: Public Health
Article Date: 26 Jan 2005 - 5:00 PDT


Physician values may be shifting, according to a cross-sectional survey of 372 physicians from 11 managed care organizations.

The researchers found that a strong sense of physician responsibility to individual patients is less common among younger physicians and physicians who practice in staff-model managed care organizations (compared to network-model managed care organizations).

They also found that physicians with a strong sense of responsibility to individual patients were significantly more likely to report being satisfied with the quality of care they provide and with their ability to serve the needs of their patients.

Physician Conceptions of Responsibility to Individual Patients and Distributive Justice in Health Care
By Mary Catherine Beach, M.D., M.P.H., et al

Angela Lower - alower@aafp.org
American Academy of Family Physicians

January/February Annals of Family Medicine tip sheet

Annals of Family Medicine is a peer-reviewed research journal that provides a cross-disciplinary forum for new, evidence-based information affecting the primary care discipline. Launched in May 2003, the journal is sponsored by six family medical organizations, including the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Board of Family Practice, the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine, the Association of Departments of Family Medicine, the Association of Family Practice Residency Directors and the North American Primary Care Research Group. The journal is published six times each year and contains original research from the clinical, biomedical, social and health services areas, as well as contributions on methodology and theory, selected reviews, essays and editorials. A board of directors with representatives from each of the sponsoring organizations oversees Annals. Complete editorial content and interactive discussion groups can be accessed free of charge on the journal's Web site, American Academy of Family Physicians.

• Additional
• References
• Citations