Ambulatory subspecialty visits in a large pediatric primary care network.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To determine patterns of subspecialty utilization within a pediatric primary care network.

Data sources/study setting

Paid claims from a large not-for-profit health plan for patients of The Pediatric Physicians' Organization at Children's, a network of private pediatric practices affiliated with Children's Hospital Boston.

Principal findings

The subspecialty visit rate was 1.01 visits per subject-year. In 2007, 56.8 percent of subjects had no subspecialty visits, whereas 4.2 percent had ≥ 5 visits; the corresponding figures in 2008 were 54.1 and 4.5 percent, respectively. The most frequently visited subspecialties were Ophthalmology, Orthopedics, Dermatology, Otorhinolaryngology, and Allergy/Immunology. Visit rates varied sevenfold by practice.

Conclusion

SUBMITTER: Vernacchio L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3401409 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature