A physician is an individual who has received a degree (eg, MD or DO) from an accredited medical school. Physicians comprise the most highly-trained health care professionals in the US and they may specialize in a number of different areas including primary care, internal medicine, and surgery, among others. Physicians also have to complete several years (3+) of residency training, depending on their specialty, before entering practice.
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FAQs About Physicians
How reliable are different sources of physician supply data?
An article by DesRoches et al (2015) compared the National Provider and Plan Enumeration System (NPPES), the American Medical Association Masterfile, and the SK&A physician file to evaluate data accuracy. The authors performed this analysis in the context of using the selected datasets for sampling frameworks and counting physicians in a given area. The authors found that while none of the files were perfect, the NPPES contained broader coverage and NPPES and SK&A data had reasonably accurate and current address information. The AMA Masterfile had lower rates of correct address information.
State licensure data are another matter. Some state medical boards require only basic information, including a mailing address for licensing correspondence. Some states collect more robust data through licensure, including multiple practice addresses, and demographic, education, and practice characteristics. Some states conduct regular surveys. States may or may not systematically verify the licensure or survey data.
Different data sources have different limitations. Before using any dataset as a sampling frame or for research, it is essential to understand the data’s purpose and how they are collected, verified, and updated.
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