Primary Care Panel Size: How You Measure Makes a Difference
Authors: Michael F. Mayo-Smith
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2020)

LettersFebruary 2021Primary Care Panel Size: How You Measure Makes a DifferenceMichael F. Mayo-Smith, MD, MPHMichael F. Mayo-Smith, MD, MPHDartmouth Geisel School of Medicine, Hanover, New Hampshire (M.F.M.)Author, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/M20-3091 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail Background: As panel size plays an increasing role in measuring primary care provider workload, setting limits on practice capacity, and determining pay, it has become an issue of great interest to practice managers and clinicians (1–3). The relationship of panel size to outcomes, such as quality of care, access, and provider burnout, has also gained attention, sometimes with the goal of identifying "optimal" panel size (4).Looking to the literature to gain an idea of what might be an appropriate panel size, one finds that reported size varies dramatically. For example, American Board of Family Medicine applicants in full-time practice ...References1. Kivlahan C, Sinsky CA. Identifying the optimal panel sizes for primary care physicians. AMA STEPS Forward. 30 August 2018. Accessed at https://edhub.ama-assn.org/steps-forward/module/2702760 on 30 July 2020. Google Scholar2. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Patient Centered Management Module (PCMM) for Primary Care. VHA Directive 1406. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; 20 June 2017. Google Scholar3. Raffoul M, Moore M, Kamerow D; et al. A primary care panel size of 2500 is neither accurate nor reasonable. J Am Board Fam Med. 2016;29:496-9. [PMID: 27390381] doi:10.3122/jabfm.2016.04.150317 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. Paige NM, Apaydin EA, Goldhaber-Fiebert JD; et al. What is the optimal primary care panel size? A systematic review. Ann Intern Med. 2020;172:195-201. doi:10.7326/M19-2491 LinkGoogle Scholar5. Peterson LE, Cochrane A, Bazemore A; et al. Only one third of family physicians can estimate their patient panel size. J Am Board Fam Med. 2015;28:173-4. [PMID: 25748756] doi:10.3122/jabfm.2015.02.140276 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine, Hanover, New Hampshire (M.F.M.)Disclosures: The author has disclosed no conflicts of interest. The form can be viewed at www.acponline.org/authors/icmje/ConflictOfInterestForms.do?msNum=M20-3091.Reproducible Research Statement: Study protocol and data set: Available from Dr. Mayo-Smith (e-mail, [email protected]com). Statistical code: Not applicable.Corresponding Author: Michael F. Mayo-Smith, MD, MPH, Department of Medicine, Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine, 15 Meadowood Drive, Franklin, NH 03235; e-mail, [email protected]com.This article was published at Annals.org on 22 September 2020. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics Cited byAnalysis of Variation in Organizational Definitions of Primary Care PanelsA Novel Gap Staffing Metric for Primary Care in the Veterans Health Administration and Implications for Rural and Urban Clinics February 2021Volume 174, Issue 2Page: 276-277KeywordsConflicts of interestDisclosureForecastingHealth careHealth care qualityPatient advocacyPatientsPopulation statisticsPrevention, policy, and public healthPrimary care physicians ePublished: 22 September 2020 Issue Published: February 2021 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2020 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...