The 1959 Survey of Group Practice

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Abstract
The U.S. Public Health Service during the winter of 1959-1960 conducted a questionnaire survey of all known medical groups in the country, a follow-up of a comparable study in 1946. A medical group is defined as 3 or more full-time physicians formally organized to provide services in more than 1 medical field or speciality, with income from medical practice distributed according to some prearranged plan. In 1946 there were 3084 full-time and 409 part-time physicians practicing in 368 medical groups in the United States, in 1959 these numbers had increased to 10,082 full-time and 1365 part-time physicians in 1154 groups. The highest concentration of physicians in group practice is in the Mountain and West North Central states, although the most rapid rate of increase was in the South Atlantic and East South Central states. The number of groups increased both in metropolitan and rural areas. Among physicians in group practice the proportion of full specialists is larger (71%) and of general practitionr ers smaller (25%) than among all active physicians in private practice (49% and 38%, respectievly). Twenty-two percent of the groups, however, composed general practitioners only; these were usually small in size (average 3.6 full-time physicians). Quality of medical care was maintained mainly through refresher and post-graduate courses, regular staff meeting, and teaching.

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