RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Clinicians’ Overestimation of Their Geographic Service Area
JF The Annals of Family Medicine
JO Ann Fam Med
FD American Academy of Family Physicians
SP S63
OP S66
DO 10.1370/afm.2383
VO 17
IS Suppl 1
A1 Rock, Robert M.
A1 Liaw, Winston R.
A1 Krist, Alex H.
A1 Tong, Sebastian
A1 Grolling, David
A1 Rankin, Jennifer
A1 Bazemore, Andrew W.
YR 2019
UL http://www.annfammed.org/content/17/Suppl_1/S63.abstract
AB In this study, we evaluated family physicians’ ability to estimate the service area of their patient panel—a critical first step in contextual population-based primary care. We surveyed 14 clinicians and administrators from 6 practices. Participants circled their estimated service area on county maps that were compared with the actual service area containing 70% of the practice’s patients. Accuracy was ascertained from overlap and the amount of estimated census tracts that were not part of the actual service area. Average overlap was 75%, but participants overestimated their service area by an average of 166 square miles. Service area overestimation impedes implementation of targeted community interventions by practices.