Manpower for obstetrics-gynecology. III. Contributions to total female medical care

Abstract

This final report from the cooperative manpower study of the University of Southern California and The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists describes the development of a female data file that outlines the care of women patients by all specialties. Obstetrician-gynecologists are compared to other specialists; they see 300,000 women per day in the United States and provide a wide range of care. Preventive care plays a larger role than in other major specialties, patient counseling and education are emphasized, and obstetric care is a major commitment. Nonetheless, acute and serious surgical and medical diagnoses are an important component of the practices of obstetrician-gynecologists.

PIP: This paper, a report from the comparative manpower study of the University of Southern California and the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists compares the contribution of obstetricians-gynecologists (ob-gyns) to that of other specialists in providing medical care to the total female population. 24 allopathic medical and surgical specialities were studied, accounting for 2/3 of the nation's physicians. Patient-physician encounters in the female data file total 211,780. Obstetrics-gynecology and general internal medicine each account for 1 of 7 visits by female patients. The chief types of problems addressed by ob-gyns are preventive, medical and surgical. Ob-gyns have about 1/5 of their encounters in the latter 3 groups in the younger and postmenopausal age groups, contrasting with care provided by other specialists where the percentage drops from 13.9% at 20-24 years of age to 2.8% for those 65 and older. For patients of all ages ob-gyns obtain samples for cervical cytologic examinations at 32.9% of all visits. Twice as much preventive care is provided by ob-gyns as by the other leading generalist specialities. Almost 40% of the ob-gyns' primary patient problems are classed as obstetric, whereas 2/3 of the generalists' are medical and less than 20% of the ob-gyns' are exclusively medical. Care of special conditions and examinations without sickness accounts for over 60% of the ob-gyns work compared to 12% for the other generalists. Most of the neoplasms seen by ob-gyns are benign whereas the opposite is true for other generalists. It is clear from this data that women do make choices in regard to which physician in which specialty they see and under what conditions.