A national study of medical and surgical specialties. III. An empirical approach to the classification of patient care
Mendenhall, R.C.; Lewis, C.E.; DeFlorio, G.P.; Girard, R.A.
JAMA 241(20): 2180-2185
1979
ISSN/ISBN: 0098-7484 PMID: 430819 Document Number: 149856
A major feature of a national survey of medical and surgical specialties is the development and application of an algorithm for classifying patient care services provided by physicians. The care classification reflects much of prevailing opinion regarding what constitutes primary and nonprimary care. The classification system provides a powerful tool for the analysis of patient care services, since it is based on conditions of access to care, the physician's role in providing the care, measures associated with continuity of care, and a proxy measure of comprehensiveness of care. Furthermore, it is based on the recordings by physicians of actual patient-encounter characteristics and is not operationally dependent on physician characteristics or propensities.