Table 1.

Characteristics of Visits to Office-Based Primary Care Physicians and Hospital Outpatient General Medicine and Gynecology Clinics by Women Ages 40 Years and Older, National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey and National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, 2001–2003

	Visits to Office-Based Primary Care Physicians		Visits to Hospital Outpatient Clinics
	na	%a	na	%a
Total	8,756	100	17,067	100
Predisposing Factors
Patient Age (yrs)
40–49	2,464	26.9	5,456	31.1
50–59	2,136	24.1	4,504	26.0
60–69	1,544	17.7	3,389	19.5
≥ 70	2,612	31.3	3,718	23.4
Patient Race
White only	7,694	86.3	12,529	76.6
Black only	802	10.4	3,912	20.1
Asian/Pacific Islander only	260	3.3	626	3.3
Patient Ethnicity
Hispanic	537	8.1	2,154	12.6
Not Hispanic	6,879	75.7	13,182	77.5
Missing	1,340	16.2	1,731	9.9
Reason for visit
Chronic problem	3,533	41.3	7,829	45.1
Acute problem	3,378	37.6	6,043	38.6
Preventive care	1,510	16.9	2,265	11.7
Missing	335	4.3	930	4.6
Enabling Factors
Expected source of payment
Medicare	2,846	33.4	4,735	28.5
Medicaid	466	5.0	3,357	16.3
Private	4,585	52.4	5,255	35.1
Other	217	2.3	825	4.4
Self/uninsured	395	4.1	1,999	10.9
Missing/unknown	247	2.9	896	4.7
# of visits in prior 12 mosb
New patient	484	5.5	2,119	10.7
0	573	6.6	852	4.5
1–2	2,235	25.3	3,943	23.3
3–5	2,674	30.4	3,988	24.0
≥ 6	2,360	26.9	4,651	28.9
Missing	430	5.2	1,514	8.6
Time spent with physician			NA
< 15 minutes	2,030	24.1
15–<30 minutes	5,213	59.4
≥ 30 minutes	1,513	16.5
Reinforcing Factors
Physician age (yrs)			NA
< 45	3,146	36.3
45–54	3,393	38.5
≥ 55	2,217	25.2
Physician gender			NA
Male	6,604	75.3
Female	2,152	24.7
PCP status
PCP for that patient	6,508	75.7	6,962	46.1
Not PCP for that patient	1,777	18.9	8,319	43.4
Missing	471	5.4	1,786	10.5
Physician specialty			NA
Internal Medicine	2,534	39.6
General/family practice	4,734	45.2
Obstetrics and gynecology	1,488	15.1
Clinic type	NA
General Medicine			14,492	93.1
Obstetrics and gynecology			2,575	6.9
Solo vs group practice			NA
Solo	3,313	39.2
Group	5,443	60.8
MSAc
MSA	6,914	81.7	14,733	77.5
Non-MSA	1,842	18.3	2,334	22.5
Geographic region
Northeast	1,760	24.5	4,930	25.8
Midwest	2,185	21.1	5,205	25.8
South	2,873	33.1	4,461	37.2
West	1,938	21.3	2,471	11.1

^aPercentages were calculated using weighted national survey estimates. Ns are unweighted. Unweighted data from the NAMCS and NHAMCS are not nationally representative and are included merely as indicators of sample size.

^bDoes not include index visit.

^cMSA = metropolitan statistical area.

NA = not available.