An analysis of practice in Georgia and South Dakota

Family practitioners in Georgia and South Dakota were surveyed in order to ascertain percentage of practice devoted to various specialty areas, daily case loads, type of diagnoses, method of handling telephone calls, and patterns of agency utilization. Questionnaires were sent to all South Dakota and Georgia family practitioners. In Georgia 22% of family practitioners do no surgery and 55% do no obstetrics, while in South Dakota 90% practice obstetrics. Differences in availability of specialists and in pysician referral patterns caused marked variations in family practice patterns. Diagnoses showing geographic differences included chronic lung disease, arthritis, sore throat, heart disease, and neuroses. About 50% of all physicians handled medical phone calls personally. Less than half the respondents in each state used some agency or resource in this time period. The distribution of specialists affects the patient load and needs to be considered when primary care is planned.