Family medicine in Minnesota: office costs and productivity.

Abstract

Clinics representing more than half of Minnesota's family physicians participated in a statewide study on the practice of family medicine conducted by the Minnesota Academy of Family Physicians. The survey was designed to provide direction for individual physicians, administrators, and the Minnesota Academy of Family Physicians as an organization. The survey identified some concerns regarding access to care. In the central portion of the state, 71% of the full-time equivalent family physicians were in practices with Medicaid patient restrictions. In the most sparsely populated towns, 35% of the reporting family physicians who provided obstetrical care three years ago discontinued that service due to the cost or availability of professional liability coverage. Statewide in 1989, 57% of the family physician positions recruited for by the practices studies were unfilled at year's end, with 82% unfilled in the most sparsely populated areas.