Variation in Support for Documentation Among Primary Care Physicians by Gender

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Figure 1.
Adjusted odds ratios for presence of staff support; Abbreviations: M/AHC, medical/academic health center; HMO, Health Maintenance Organization.

Table 1.

Sample Characteristics

Characteristic	All N = 813 (%)	Female Physicians N = 344 (%)	Male Physicians N = 469 (%)
Age Group
<50 years old	29.2	41.6	18.6
50 years or older	70.8	58.4	81.4
Practice Ownership
Physician/physician group	53.7	54.6	53.0
Insurance company, health plan, HMO, or other healthcare corporation	20.4	25.2	16.2
Community health center	6.9	5.9	7.8
Medical/academic health center or other hospital	19.0	14.3	23.0
Practice Size
1 physician	17.4	16.4	18.3
2 to 3 physicians	24.0	20.9	26.8
4 to 10 physicians	32.2	37.3	27.8
11 to 50 physicians	10.7	9.2	12.1
>50 physicians	15.5	16.1	15.0
Percent of Patients Insured by Medicaid
0%	16.0	22.2	10.7
1% to 24%	43.4	38.8	47.4
25% to 50%	27.6	24.0	30.7
Over 50%	13.0	15.0	11.3

Table 2.

Staff Support for Documentation by Gender and Additional Demographic and Practice Characteristics

Characteristic	Female Physicians (N = 344) (% in category reporting documentation support)	Male Physicians (N = 469) (% in category reporting documentation support)	P Value for difference between male and female physicians
Overall	25.1	37.3	0.04
Age Group
<50 years old	23.0	33.9	0.39
50 years or older	26.5	38.0	0.14
Practice Ownership
Physician/physician group	26.5	35.6	0.26
Insurance company, health plan, HMO or other healthcare corporation	28.7	43.6	0.31
Community health center	21.8	41.7	0.27
Medical/academic health center or other hospital	15.2	35.0	0.06
Practice Size
1 physician	10.8	45.1	0.004
2 to 3 physicians	25.2	39.8	0.25
4 to 10 physicians	33.8	37.1	0.78
11 to 50 physicians	21.2	14.0	0.53
>50 physicians	21.5	42.2	0.11
Percent of Patients Insured by Medicaid
0%	30.5	34.2	0.76
1 to 24%	27.5	29.8	0.82
25 to 50%	28.6	55.1	0.05
Over 50%	5.0	22.8	0.007