Physician clinical productivity--a comparison of university-based and private multispecialty medical groups

Do the research and teaching activities of university-based medical group physicians have a diminishing effect of physician clinical productivity? Based on a survey of eight large medical groups and statistics from the Medical Group Management Association's Group Practice Performance Evaluator, this question is explored. Key factors affecting productivity are examined, including environmental differences, efficiency of support staff, gross collection ratios, increased bureaucracy, and more emphasis on the clinical track in university groups; and a review of the current published literature on the subject is presented. What becomes clear is that medical groups need to develop exact standards for measuring and monitoring physician clinical productivity as compared to physician compensation.