Number of outpatients initially treated and sometimes admitted by various types of physicians: N = 70 092.
| TYPES OF PHYSICIANS | NO. TREATED (%) | NO. ADMITTED (%)* |
|---|---|---|
| Primary care physicians | 48 762 (70) | 2264 (5) |
| Surgeons | 13 800 (20) | 2442 (18)† |
| •Plastic surgeons | 7141 (10) | 1466 (21) |
| •Orthopedic surgeons | 6153 (9) | 904 (15) |
| •General surgeons | 506 (<1) | 72 (14) |
| Emergency physicians | 6146 (9) | 355 (6)‡ |
| Other | 1384 (2) | 32 (2)§ |
| All physicians | 70 092 (100) | 5093 (7) |
-
↵* Given the very large number of patients reviewed in this study, a statistically significant difference between admission rates is likely even with very small differences in overall percentage of patients admitted by the various types of physicians. In the broader population-based sense, this significant difference might have important implications for overall health care costs and health care use planning.
-
↵† Primary care physician vs surgeon (N = 62 562): Pearson
, P < .0001. -
↵‡ Primary care physician vs emergency physician (N = 54 908): Pearson
, P < .0001. -
↵§ Primary care physician vs other medical person (N = 50 146): Pearson
, P < .0001.
