Report: Mass. patient wait times rise
The “2011 Patient Access to Health Care Study: A Survey of Physicians’ Offices” has revealed that wait times for new patient appointments are trending upward across Massachusetts.
The seventh annual study was conducted by Anderson Robbins Research on behalf of the Massachusetts Medical Society as part of the society's 2011 Physician Workforce Study. It included data from 838 telephone interviews conducted between Feb. 16 and March 8. During the survey, researchers called Massachusetts-based physician’s offices to schedule an appointment for a new patient.
According to the report, the specific, non-emergency reasons given were unique for each specialty:
Four of the seven types of specialties reported longer wait times than last year, including orthopedic surgeons (26 days, up from 17 days), gastroenterologists (43 days, up from 36 days), OB/GYN (41 days, up from 34 days) and family medicine (36 days, up from 29 days), the Massachusetts Medical Society reported.
“Internists are the only specialist reporting significant shorter wait times compared to last year, although at 48 days on average they still have the longest waits,” the report noted. “Last year the average wait to see an internist for a new patient appointment was 53 days.
The two other specialties—pediatrics and cardiology—remained statistically the same from last year.
In addition, “internists (49 percent) and family medicine physicians (47 percent) continue to be the least likely to be accepting new patients,” the report stated. “Orthopedic surgeons (97 percent) and gastroenterologists (95 percent) are the most likely to be accepting new patients.”
This year's study reviewed acceptance of various government insurance products for the first time. It showed significant variation in acceptance rates among the different specialties.
“The specialists least likely to be accepting new patients (internists, family medicine physicians and pediatrics) are also the least likely to accept Commonwealth Care and Commonwealth Choice [low-cost health insurance] products,” the report stated.
The seventh annual study was conducted by Anderson Robbins Research on behalf of the Massachusetts Medical Society as part of the society's 2011 Physician Workforce Study. It included data from 838 telephone interviews conducted between Feb. 16 and March 8. During the survey, researchers called Massachusetts-based physician’s offices to schedule an appointment for a new patient.
According to the report, the specific, non-emergency reasons given were unique for each specialty:
- Cardiology: Heart check-up
- Gastroenterology: Chronic heartburn
- Internal medicine: New primary care physician
- Orthopedic surgery: Knee pain
- OB/GYN: Routine exam
- Family medicine: New primary care physician
- Pediatrics: New pediatrician for 1-year-old child
Four of the seven types of specialties reported longer wait times than last year, including orthopedic surgeons (26 days, up from 17 days), gastroenterologists (43 days, up from 36 days), OB/GYN (41 days, up from 34 days) and family medicine (36 days, up from 29 days), the Massachusetts Medical Society reported.
“Internists are the only specialist reporting significant shorter wait times compared to last year, although at 48 days on average they still have the longest waits,” the report noted. “Last year the average wait to see an internist for a new patient appointment was 53 days.
The two other specialties—pediatrics and cardiology—remained statistically the same from last year.
In addition, “internists (49 percent) and family medicine physicians (47 percent) continue to be the least likely to be accepting new patients,” the report stated. “Orthopedic surgeons (97 percent) and gastroenterologists (95 percent) are the most likely to be accepting new patients.”
This year's study reviewed acceptance of various government insurance products for the first time. It showed significant variation in acceptance rates among the different specialties.
“The specialists least likely to be accepting new patients (internists, family medicine physicians and pediatrics) are also the least likely to accept Commonwealth Care and Commonwealth Choice [low-cost health insurance] products,” the report stated.