A comprehensive womenʹs health care center: Are gynecologists offering primary care?

Objective The purpose of this study was to compare patient characteristics and diagnoses in a comprehensive Womenʹs Health Care Clinic between gynecologists and internal medicine physicians. Study design This retrospective cohort study evaluated International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, codes that were recorded between January 1, 2001, and January 4, 2004, at the Womenʹs Health Care Clinic. We compared demographics and prevalence of diagnosis codes for patients who were seen by obstetricians/gynecologists and internal medicine physicians and compared these data with national survey statistics. A sampling of charts was reviewed for coding verification. Results We analyzed 13,462 visits at the Womenʹs Health Care Clinic. Patients who were seen by internists were older, had greater racial diversity, and had more gender-nonspecific medical disorders (hypertension, depression). Gynecologists saw more specific womenʹs health problems (P< .05). The diagnoses of menstrual disorders, menopause, pelvic pain, and abnormal cytologic findings within the Womenʹs Health Care Clinic follow closely with the national ambulatory survey data. Conclusion Within this multispecialty Womenʹs Health Care Clinic, internal medicine physicians are practicing primary care and obstetricians/gynecologists are providing specialty care.