Comparison of PCP Presence and Willingness to Register Patients for Visits (N = 5,188 Census Blocks)
| Indicator of Local PCP Supply | Present | Registering Patients for Office Visits | Registering Patients for Home Visits | P Valuea |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Block has ≥1 PCP of this type, No. (%) | 2,905 (55.4) | 2,004 (38.6) | 1,008 (19.4) | <.001b |
| Number of PCPs of this type per block per 10,000 inhabitants, mean (SD) | 7.59 (18.4) | 3.32 (6.10) | 1.31 (9.20) | <.001c |
PCP = primary care physician.
Notes: The binary indicators (block has vs does not have at least 1 PCP of given type) reflect the minimum ability of patients to find a physician; the continuous indicators (numbers of PCPs of given type per number of inhabitants) reflect patients’ possible ability to choose among several physicians. See Methods for details.
↵a Indicators of local PCP supply were compared by using empty mixed models (ie, those without any independent variables) with a random intercept and 2 levels (block level and municipality level, to take into account possible municipal policies related to primary care supply).
↵b The 3 binary indicators were compared with a log-binomial model.
↵c The 3 continuous indicators were compared with a Poisson model containing as an offset the logarithm of the number of inhabitants in the block, to take physician density into account.