Family practice in Massachusetts: a comparison of residency trained family physicians with the general practitioner experience of 1967-1968.

An analysis of data collected from a one-year survey of the activities of seven residency trained family physicians practicing in Massachusetts was carried out. These data were compared to a study of activities of Massachusetts general practitioners done in 1967-1968, and to the Virginia Study of 1976. Both hospital and health center encounters were analyzed. The age distribution of the practices paralleled that of the general practitioners, particularly the younger general practitioners. The sex distribution was also comparable. However, over one third of all health problems recorded during the study were for preventive or non-illness visits. This represented a significant percentage increase over the general practitioners as well as the family physicians in the Virginia Study. The site of activity was also different in showing a ten percent increase in office visits over 1967-1968. Women's health issues, which include maternity and family planning care, represented a larger percentage of the practices of the residency graduates than was the case in the Virginia Study. Educational and health manpower implications of the study are discussed.