The Changing Structure of Medical Group Practice in the United States, 1969 to 1980
- Larry J. Freshnock, PhD;
- Lynn E. Jensen, PhD
- Dr Freshnock is assistant to the division director and Dr Jensen is division director, Center for Health Services Research and Development, American Medical Association. For further information and reprints write directly to Center for Health Services Research and Development, American Medical Association, 535 N Dearborn St, Chicago, IL 60610.
Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text.
Excerpt
During the 20th century, the organizational structure of physicians' practice in the United States has undergone major transformation. Prior to World War II, physicians were predominantly solo practitioners. Many who were located in rural areas had little or no professional contact with colleagues. Since 1950, however, group practice has emerged as a major form of physician organization and has in recent years shown increasingly rapid growth. Interest in group practice has also been heightened by its relationship to many new forms of prepaid care delivery, including several types of health maintenance organizations. In addition, research on such topics as physician productivity and health care cost containment has examined closely the effects of group practice formation. For these reasons, it is important to monitor the growth and development of group practice as both a cause and effect of changes in the market for physician services.
In discussing the evolution of medical
Footnotes
-
The data in this article will be presented in greater detail in the forthcoming Medical Group Practice in the US, 1980 to be published by the Center on Sept 1, 1981.
-
The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position or policy of the American Medical Association.
