Primary and consultant care. Can they be distinguished?
D. M. Barr
Four of five national data sets were adequate to distinguish primary and
consultant care by specialty. The one data set that could not be used in
this way includes most acute hospital care provided in the United States.
Using a functional classification that was independent of specialty, one of
five national data sets is purported by its sponsors to distinguish primary
from consultant care, and that effort is not ongoing. Greater effort is
needed to collect ongoing data distinguishing primary and consultant care
specialties by function.
