Eighty percent of health care expenditures are influenced by physicians' clinical decisions, including the type and place of treatment, number of tests, intensity of services, etc. In recent year the growing cost-consciousness of health care payers and a greater sophistication among managed intermediaries (health plans, third party administrators, utilization review firms) have challenged the physician's fundamental control over health care resources. This fundamental change in the health care delivery system has precipitated changes in utilization of physician services, physician income, organization of physician practices, and the demand for various types of physician specialties.
Unfortunately, there are few primary data available on physicians in the medical marketplace in Rhode Island, other than that collected as part of the state's licensure process or as part of a much larger national census or survey. As a result, The Governor's Advisory Council on Health (GACH) of Rhode Island was charged to explore these issues.
The questionnaire was developed by a task force (working group committee) captured information on demographics, primary and secondary specialty, practice settings, services provided, and attitudes on selected issues. The Rhode Island Medical Licensure Database was used to identify all currently active (involved in patient care) physicians practicing in Rhode Island. Of the 2,661 physicians who were determined to be eligible for participation, 38% responded.
Learning Objectives: Participants will be able to describe the physician community in Rhode Island. Participants will be able to discuss factors that drive changes in payor sourcs and contractactual issues in Rhode Island from the providers' perspective. Participants will be able to understand the primary care physician capacity of Rhode Island
Keywords: Primary Care, Physicians
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Governor's Advisory Council on Health of Rhode Island
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.