Family practice in Virginia: a comparative analysis of two years' data

Data representing Fiscal Years 1975 and 1976 as well as the aggregate 1975--1976 data set are reviewed in this paper. Information on 92,410 discrete patients and the 333,709 transactions they generated is studied. The transactions per patient rate of 3.6 varies greatly among the eight practices under investigation. This interpractice variation is complemented by remarkable year-to-year consistency within each practice. Age and the percent of continuing patients are presented as possible explanations for this variation. These data are useful to the physician in identifying the high-use patients and to the health planner for manpower and funding appropriations.