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Clinical similarities and demographic differences between residency and private practice patients
L Bethea1, K Singh, J C Probst
1Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, USA.
Family Medicine
|July 1, 1996
Summary
Family practice residency sites, like Richland Family Practice Center, serve predominantly female and African-American patients, differing from private practices by caring for more economically disadvantaged individuals. Computerized medical records enhance residency research.
Area of Science:
- Family Medicine
- Medical Informatics
- Health Services Research
Background:
- Comparison of clinical and demographic patient profiles between a family practice residency site and other regions.
- Demonstration of the utility of computerized medical records in facilitating such comparative analyses.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the patient population of a family practice residency site with those in other regions.
- To evaluate the effectiveness of a computerized medical record system in data analysis for residency programs.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective sampling of patient visits at Richland Family Practice Center (July 1992-June 1993).
- Descriptive statistics and contingency table analysis.
- Time comparison of manual versus computerized data retrieval.
Main Results:
- Patients were predominantly female (75.2%) and African-American (68%).
- Residency site treated more federally funded and minority patients compared to community physicians.
- Top diagnoses included hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and general medical examinations, showing overlap with regional data.
- Computerized data retrieval was faster and more complete than manual methods.
Conclusions:
- Diagnoses at residency sites generally parallel those in other family practices, but residencies serve more economically disadvantaged patients.
- Computerized medical record systems are effective tools for research within family practice residency programs.