Table 1.

ASPN Performance Characteristics, 1983 to 1990 (as of September 1 each year)

19831984198519861987198819891990
Number of practices3846475264717675
Percent rural63%63%65%60%62%59%59%53%
Number of clinicians78138145183190216213314
    Mean age3837403938393839
    Number of doctors66117125158167188182264
    Number of residents0000001594
Availability of practices’ doctors to respond to patients
    Least63% (Sunday afternoon)69% (Sunday afternoon)65% (Sat evening)65% (Sat eve.)68% (Sunday afternoon)70% (Sun evening)70% (Sunday afternoon)72% (Sunday afternoon)
    Most98% (Monday afternoon)96% (Tuesday afternoon)94% (Tuesday afternoon)98% (Tuesday afternoon)95% (Tuesday morning)97% (Tuesday morning)96% (Tuesday morning)98% (Friday morning)
    Evenings70% to 75%70% to 78%64% to 72%65% to 76%69% to 76%70% to 82%70% to 85%72% to 86%
Coverage by practice 52 weeks a year69%70%70%78%77%76%76%80%
Reporting rate89%86% to 93%93% to 95%95% to 98%89% to 97%94%92%
Age/sex reports;*
    Number submitted by year’s end3031413854614667
    Number completely enumerated711213048494463
    Total patients114,889106,402200,686166,509222,430266,198297,923309,925
    Percent female56%55%57%57%56%56%56%56%
Estimated active population145,529157,882230,056227,857263,620309,838327,013346,933
Average encounters per practice each week160167156177191195184195
  • * Age/sex registers are reported for the previous 2-year period (e.g., 1982 to 83 age/sex registers are collected in 1984).