Practice satisfaction and experiences of women physicians in an era of managed care

Abstract

Managed care is dramatically changing the way the nation pays for health care and fueling rapid restructuring of health care delivery. In response, the medical profession is confronting new pressures and major shifts in delivery. At the same time, more women are entering the medical profession and more are in medical practice than ever before. To examine practice satisfaction and concerns of women physicians in the current health care environment, this article analyzes the responses to a national survey of physicians by gender. Women physicians were more likely than men physicians to be in generalist or primary care fields, to be practicing in groups than as solo practitioners, to have practices with a high proportion of managed care patients, and to report dissatisfaction with the amount of time they have to spend with patients and colleagues and with their ability to stay knowledgeable. Further research and more in-depth probing of women's experiences are needed to track experiences over time and to relate practice experiences to quality of patient care.