Findings from two surveys of all physicians in Pima County, Arizona, i
n 1985 and 1990 to determine the trajectory of hospital/physician rela
tionship suggest that conflicts have increased in almost all areas. Ph
ysicians report the greatest number of and increase in conflicts in tr
aditional problem areas such as the quality of nursing and response to
equipment requests. They report a smaller increase in conflicts relat
ing to the new competitive marketplace, including hospital efforts to
influence medical practice. Both types of problems are most prevalent
among younger physicians. The new marketplace thus appears to exacerba
te traditional hospital/physician conflicts more than it generates new
areas of contention.