LONGITUDINAL-STUDY OF EMERGENCY PHYSICIANS BY THE AMERICAN-BOARD-OF-EMERGENCY-MEDICINE - 1995 INTERIM SURVEY RESULTS

Study objective: To obtain current demographic data and information re garding the opinion of a stratified random sample of emergency physici ans about the greatest current challenges facing emergency medicine. M ethods: An annual survey was conducted by the American Board of Emerge ncy Medicine (ABEM) using a stratified random sample of 1,004 emergenc y physicians selected from four cohorts, 1979, 1984, 1988, and 1993. T hese samples were further divided between diplomates who had completed emergency medicine residency training and those who had not. The 1993 non-residency-trained panel was replaced by a random sample of Americ an College of Emergency Physicians members who were full-time emergenc y physicians, were not ABEM diplomates, and had not completed a reside ncy in emergency medicine. The interim survey instrument is a one-page collection of relevant demographic items selected from the comprehens ive 5-year questionnaire with the addition of the open-ended question, ''What are the greatest challenges facing emergency medicine today?'' Results: Of the interim surveys distributed, 95% (n=956) were returne d. Because the 1995 interim survey was the first distributed after the initial 1994 comprehensive survey, the demographic data had changed l ittle. Such data will become increasingly important and useful as chan ges are reported over subsequent years. The main challenge identified by participants was the impact of managed care (31%), followed by econ omic and financial issues (23%). Personal impact issues, such as indiv idual stress and malpractice, accounted for a smaller number of respon ses (18%). Conclusion: Overall, the ABEM Longitudinal Study participan t responses to the 1995 interim survey describe a committed group of e mergency physicians who are struggling and coping with the needs of a maturing specialty and with the crosscurrents and changes in American medicine.