| Abstract: | Fourteen hundred randomized patient records of two urban practitioners covering a one-year period were studied. The two practitioners represented two very different types of general practice. Dr. A was an active staff member of a teaching hospital; Dr. B confined his work to office and home visits.The age, marital status, occupation, diagnoses, and patient management were coded on IBM cards, and the data analyzed with the aid of a computer program.The findings indicate that over 90% of patients seen by both practitioners were managed entirely from their offices. Dr. A admitted 41 (5.9%) of the 700 patients seen and referred 24 (3.4%); Dr. B admitted no patients and referred 44 (6.3%). These and other findings suggest that the role and function of the urban general practitioner is changing rapidly in this era of specialization. |
