Provider resource planning. A study of methods in multispecialty groups and systems

This article profiles the state of the art in provider resource planning based on a sample of large multispeciality group practices. Senior administrative representatives from a geographically dispersed sample of 12 practices, each employing over 100 physicians, participated in telephone interviews to discuss their respective organization's provider resource planning practices. There was significant variation with regard to the structural and process components and evaluation criteria used to plan provider resources. Variability was most pronounced by the lack of consensus and experience within and across organizations regarding the number and type of criteria deemed useful in evaluating new position requests. This research suggests that there is an opportunity to develop more objective provider resource planning methods that recognize differences across organizations and their respective markets. The authors recommend a series of research steps to develop methods that would identify needs prospectively, minimize the complexities of provider resource planning and maximize the alignment of strategic plans and operations.