A national study of medical and surgical specialties. I. Background purpose, and methodology.

The University of Southern California is conducting a national survey of physicians involving the collection and analysis of detailed data on the activities and practice characteristics of generalists, medical specialists, and surgical specialists of different types. This is the first of a series of reports on the survey and provides an overview of the survey's background, purposes, and general research methods. Basic features of the research methods include the development of a survey instrument capable of obtaining different types of practice data from physicians in most specialties and practice arrangements, the sampling of physician population to ensure that sufficient data are obtained from physicians in most specialties and practice arrangements, and the creation and application of a scheme for classifying patient-care services provided by physicians along dimensions related to primary care.