Here are five things to know about the Physician Practice Environment Index, a statistical indicator of the factors that affect physician practices.
1. The index, which was recently released by the Massachusetts Medical Society, relies on eight factors, including median physician income, the quantity of applications to medical schools and the percent of physicians age 55 and over.
2. “2014 mean salary levels for specialists in Massachusetts were 22 percent below their national counterparts, while primary care physicians mean salaries were 10 percent below the national averages,” according to the index report.
3. The number of applicants to medical schools increased by 0.4 percent in Massachusetts. Nationally, the number of applicants to medical schools increased 0.5 percent.
4. The Massachusetts index increased 1.1 percent in 2014. The United States index increased 1.2 percent during the same period of time.
5. The Massachusetts index has only increased 3 percent since hitting an all-time low in 2010. The U.S. index has increased 7.5 percent since its ultimate low in 2006.
More articles on integration and physician issues:
Boston palliative care pioneer dies
Dana-Farber affiliates with Berkshire Medical Center: 4 things to know
Family physicians play critical role in ED care in urban hospitals
