Re: developing a survey group

January 4, 2007

I’m willing to take part in the

survey.

A. Eads, M.D.

Pinnacle Family Medicine, PLLC

phone fax

P.O.

Box 7275

Woodland

Park, CO 80863

From:

[mailto: ] On

Behalf Of lawrence lyon

Sent: Monday, January 01, 2007

11:00 PM

To:

Subject:

developing a survey group

hi, shirley,

i am solo family practice.

i have checked out surveymonkey, and it looks great. 10

questions/100 respondents per survey for free. that's

fine, topics can be broken into 10 questions each, and if necessary,

be further subdivided later.

a survey group will need to be identified, and kept closed,

up to 100 respondents.

are there up to 100 practices within the practiceimprovement1

group which will commit to being the survey group?

we have an opportunity to identify the key characteristics of low

overhead practice, including the definition of " low overhead " , and

success. this will help us, and help others.

who's in, and who's out?

i will not do this by myself. if we are interested in this

information, we'll have to do this together.

LL

Shirley PigottMD

<shirleypigottmdgmail> wrote:

Hi Lawrence,

Apparently anyone can set up a survey for free at survey monkey. Maybe

they have some obscure way to market the information they unearth, I don't

know. As best as I can tell it looks pretty clever; hopefully it can be

motivational as well as providing us with useful information. Why don't you do

one? Just go to www.surveymonkey.com

and go through the process. Kathy Saradarian did several last year for

docs on AAFP emr, practice mgmt, and private sector listservs. I don't know

what specialty you're in, but my direction is to try to get s/sg FPs to become

more involved in determining the future of private Family Medicine. If it perks

the interest of pediatricians and internists, that would be terrific.

Shirley Pigott MD

Texas

On 1/1/07, lawrence lyon <llyonmd> wrote:

i have looked at both of those polls. they are

related to aafp, and one's involvement, and what are the respondent's pressing

issues.

i don't know anything about surveymonkey; if that is a

tool we can use, that's great.

i am suggesting a survey relating to low overhead and

the various specific features by which one can practice and maintain financial

viability.

LL

Shirley PigottMD

<shirleypigottmd@ gmail.com>

wrote:

Thanks, Gordon!

In addition to joing the AAFP private sector advocacy listserv, all of you are

welcome to take a couple of surveys on surveymonkey. Thanks to Kathy

Saradarian for introducing FPs to this useful tool. Anyone can create a

survey like I've done below at no cost.

Some of the questions can't be answered w/o an AAFP ID, but if you're ped or

IM, your input using your AAP or ACP ID is just as valuable. Over the

last 2 years, about 100 AAFP members passed solo/small group resolutions

in our state academies, then sent them on to our national organization where

they have become policy. We have scratched our heads as to how we might get

solo and small group pedi's and internists more involved in their

organizations, so Gordon might be giving us just the trigger we have been

looking for.

If there is sufficient interest in nudging ACP and/or AFP toward more direct

solo/small group advocacy, and traffic on that subject becomes a distraction

here, I will happily create another listserv for primary care solo/small group

advocacy to include pediatricians, internists, and family physicians. Each of

our three organizations are promoting the concept of a medical home for all

Americans, even those under the care of subspecialists. We all have seen our

patients poorly served because no one is directing their total care.

How neat it would be if there were enough interest that we would need our own

solo/small group advocacy listserv! Thanks again, Gordon! What a

terrific movement you have started, for more reasons than have been

obvious before now! Maybe there really is hope for private primary care

practices to survive and flourish.

The link to the first survey is:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/Users/77069064/Surveys/409083067994/AD16C181-9CF5-499A-AD0B-7E860A05712B.asp?U=409083067994 & DO_NOT_COPY_THIS_LINK

The second one is at

http://www.surveymonkey.com/Users/77069064/Surveys/598943077371/3F7F0959-EE1F-428B-9F11-F887F3B27A8C.asp?U=598943077371 & DO_NOT_COPY_THIS_LINK

You're supposed to answer the first survey before doing the second. The

second one requires you to do some work on your state academy website. While

these questions were written for FPs, they can be used by pedi's and internists

as well. Some state organizations don't have their own separate sites,

but are linked to their national organizations. The answers you can give

in those cases are just as appropriate for the purposes of the survey.

The results of the first survey (called 'untitled survey') up through Dec 31,

2006, follow below; it will stay open indefinitely, so please don't hesitate to

take it because results have already been posted. Each survey should be

taken only once. The second requires FPs to be signed up on the AAFP private

sector advocacy listserv; if AAP and ACP do not have equivalent forums for

discussion, now is the perfect time to get them started. Until that time,

however, please answer the questions as best as you can.

Be sure to copy the links!! Then paste into your address bar.

Results

of Survey on involvement in AAFP state academies and the effectiveness of

individual state academy websites as of December 31, 2006.

48% of

respondents to the survey say they have been to a state academy scientific

meeting.

48% of

respondents to the survey don't report ever attending a state academy business

meeting in any capacity.

46% of those

who say they have attended a business meeting have done so as observers.

Regarding state academy websites:

12.5% who responded to the question say they have

never visited their state academy website.

50% of all those surveyed report

visiting their state academy website frequently.

33% of

those who have visited their state academy website even once visit it

frequently.

Regarding contact information for your state

organization:

10.5% of those who responded to the question say

contact information for their state academy is NOT easily accessible.

Regarding the next state organization meeting:

20% of those who answered the

question say they cannot easily find out when and where their next state

academy meeting is.

Regarding contacting officers:

19% of those who responded to the question say they

cannot easily find out how to contact an officer from the website.

Regarding state academy working committees/commissions:

44% of those who

responded to the question say they cannot easily find a list of state academy

committees or commissions.

Regarding the kinds of practices our docs have currently:

4% who answered the question say they are

not currently practicing as a physician.

8% who answered the question say they are

employed in the public sector.

4% who answered the question say they are

in a practice with 4-10 physicians.

4% who answered the question say they are

in a practice with over 10 physicians.

79% who answered the question say they are in solo practice.

Regarding the biggest problem we have of 6 possible choices:

Of the physicians who answered the question ,

___ % say their biggest problem is:

12.5% They are wondering how they will ever pay back

student loans.

25% They barely earn enough to make ends

meet.

12.5% They need for tort reform.

38% There are too many hassles with

insurance companies.

4% They are too busy to keep

up with medicine.

8%

They are burned out.

Is it worthwhile trying to change medicine?

Of those who answered

this question, 88% think medicine isn't so far gone that it's useless to try to

change it.

Hopefully, these results will spur those of us in solo and small group primary

care to become more involved in our state organizations as a means to change

the direction medicine is headed. Most of us think there is still hope.

Cheers and Happy New Year! Thanks again, Gordon.

Shirley P

Texas

Hi folks

Some of the folks on the list are part of other groups working on improving

health care. They sometimes take different paths but appear to me to be

headed to the same goals. Insofar as there is common interest, it

behooves us to collaborate and support these other initiatives.

Shirley Pigott and others are taking the path of Family Medicine

advocacy. This approach may appeal to others on the list, and adding your

voice to theirs may help us all.

If you are an AAFP member and want to add your voice, go to AAFP homepage (www.aafp.org): Policy and

Advocacy -> Private Sector Advocacy -> Subscribe to 'email discussion

list'. They need their AAFP ID number, but that's on American Family

Physician or any other mail they receive. The traffic is very light, but

if you are worried about volume, you can use the 'bulletin-board' function and

get mail no more than once per day.

Everyone: just be sensitive to non family docs on the list. This is not

intended to be a family med club, but a group working on solutions to the

ubiquitous problems facing health care in the U.S. We have a lot in common

with the ACP Medical Home movement.

Gordon

__________________________________________________

January 4, 2007

great! who else? we need up to 98 more, and not beers on the wall. LL Eads wrote: I’m willing to take part in the survey. A. Eads, M.D. Pinnacle Family Medicine, PLLC phone fax P.O. Box 7275 Woodland Park, CO 80863 From: [mailto: ] On Behalf Of lawrence lyonSent: Monday, January 01, 2007 11:00 PMTo: Subject: developing a survey group hi, shirley, i am solo family practice. i have checked out surveymonkey, and it looks great. 10 questions/100 respondents per survey for

free. that's fine, topics can be broken into 10 questions each, and if necessary, be further subdivided later. a survey group will need to be identified, and kept closed, up to 100 respondents. are there up to 100 practices within the practiceimprovement1 group which will commit to being the survey group? we have an opportunity to identify the key characteristics of low overhead practice, including the definition of "low overhead", and success. this will help us, and help others. who's in, and who's out? i will not do this by myself. if we are interested in this information, we'll have to do this together. LL Shirley PigottMD <shirleypigottmdgmail>

wrote: Hi Lawrence,Apparently anyone can set up a survey for free at survey monkey. Maybe they have some obscure way to market the information they unearth, I don't know. As best as I can tell it looks pretty clever; hopefully it can be motivational as well as providing us with useful information. Why don't you do one? Just go to www.surveymonkey.com and go through the process. Kathy Saradarian did several last year for docs on AAFP emr, practice mgmt, and private sector listservs. I don't know what specialty you're in, but my direction is to try to get s/sg FPs to become more involved in determining the future of private Family Medicine. If it perks the interest of

pediatricians and internists, that would be terrific. Shirley Pigott MDTexas On 1/1/07, lawrence lyon <llyonmd> wrote: i have looked at both of those polls. they are related to aafp, and one's involvement, and what are the respondent's pressing issues. i don't know anything about

surveymonkey; if that is a tool we can use, that's great. i am suggesting a survey relating to low overhead and the various specific features by which one can practice and maintain financial viability. LL Shirley PigottMD <shirleypigottmd@ gmail.com> wrote: Thanks, Gordon! In addition to joing the AAFP private sector advocacy listserv, all of you are welcome to take a couple of surveys on surveymonkey. Thanks to Kathy Saradarian for introducing FPs to this useful tool. Anyone can create a survey like I've done below at no cost. Some of the questions can't be answered w/o an AAFP ID, but if you're ped or IM, your input using your AAP or ACP ID is just as valuable. Over the last 2 years, about 100 AAFP members passed solo/small group resolutions in our state academies, then sent them on to our national organization where they have become policy. We have scratched our heads as to how we might get solo and small group pedi's

and internists more involved in their organizations, so Gordon might be giving us just the trigger we have been looking for. If there is sufficient interest in nudging ACP and/or AFP toward more direct solo/small group advocacy, and traffic on that subject becomes a distraction here, I will happily create another listserv for primary care solo/small group advocacy to include pediatricians, internists, and family physicians. Each of our three organizations are promoting the concept of a medical home for all Americans, even those under the care of subspecialists. We all have seen our patients poorly served because no one is directing their total care. How neat it would be if there were enough interest that we would need our own solo/small group advocacy listserv! Thanks again, Gordon! What a terrific movement you have started, for more reasons than have been obvious before now! Maybe there really is hope for private primary care

practices to survive and flourish. The link to the first survey is:http://www.surveymonkey.com/Users/77069064/Surveys/409083067994/AD16C181-9CF5-499A-AD0B-7E860A05712B.asp?U=409083067994 & DO_NOT_COPY_THIS_LINKThe second one is at http://www.surveymonkey.com/Users/77069064/Surveys/598943077371/3F7F0959-EE1F-428B-9F11-F887F3B27A8C.asp?U=598943077371 & DO_NOT_COPY_THIS_LINK You're supposed to answer the first survey before doing the second. The second one

requires you to do some work on your state academy website. While these questions were written for FPs, they can be used by pedi's and internists as well. Some state organizations don't have their own separate sites, but are linked to their national organizations. The answers you can give in those cases are just as appropriate for the purposes of the survey.The results of the first survey (called 'untitled survey') up through Dec 31, 2006, follow below; it will stay open indefinitely, so please don't hesitate to take it because results have already been posted. Each survey should be taken only once. The second requires FPs to be signed up on the AAFP private sector advocacy listserv; if AAP and ACP do not have equivalent forums for discussion, now is the perfect time to get them started. Until that time, however, please answer the questions as best as you can. Be sure to copy the links!! Then paste into your address

bar. Results of Survey on involvement in AAFP state academies and the effectiveness of individual state academy websites as of December 31, 2006. 48% of respondents to the survey say they have been to a state academy scientific meeting. 48% of respondents to the survey don't report ever attending a state academy business meeting in any capacity. 46% of those who say they have attended a business meeting have done so as observers. Regarding state academy websites: 12.5% who responded to the question say they have never visited their state academy website. 50% of all those surveyed report visiting their state academy website frequently. 33% of those who have visited their state

academy website even once visit it frequently. Regarding contact information for your state organization: 10.5% of those who responded to the question say contact information for their state academy is NOT easily accessible. Regarding the next state organization meeting: 20% of those who answered the question say they cannot easily find out when and where their next state academy meeting is. Regarding contacting officers: 19% of those who responded to the question say they cannot easily find out how to contact an officer from the

website. Regarding state academy working committees/commissions: 44% of those who responded to the question say they cannot easily find a list of state academy committees or commissions. Regarding the kinds of practices our docs have currently: 4% who answered the question say they are not currently practicing as a physician. 8% who answered the question say they are employed in the public sector. 4% who answered the question say they are in a practice with 4-10 physicians. 4% who answered the question say they are in a practice with over 10 physicians. 79% who answered the question say they are in solo practice. Regarding the biggest problem we have of 6 possible choices: Of the physicians who answered the question , ___ % say their biggest problem is: 12.5% They are wondering how they will ever pay back student loans. 25% They barely earn enough to make ends meet. 12.5% They need for tort reform. 38% There are too many hassles with insurance companies. 4% They are too busy to keep up with medicine. 8% They are burned out. Is it worthwhile trying to change medicine? Of those who answered this question, 88% think medicine isn't so far gone that it's useless to try to change it. Hopefully, these results will spur those of us

in solo and small group primary care to become more involved in our state organizations as a means to change the direction medicine is headed. Most of us think there is still hope. Cheers and Happy New Year! Thanks again, Gordon.Shirley PTexasHi folksSome of the folks on the list are part of other groups working on improving health care. They sometimes take different paths but appear to me to be headed to the same goals. Insofar as there is common interest, it behooves us to collaborate and support these other initiatives.Shirley Pigott and others are taking the path of Family Medicine advocacy. This approach may appeal to others on the list, and adding your voice to theirs may help us all. If you are an AAFP member and want to add your voice, go to AAFP homepage (www.aafp.org): Policy and Advocacy -> Private

Sector Advocacy -> Subscribe to 'email discussion list'. They need their AAFP ID number, but that's on American Family Physician or any other mail they receive. The traffic is very light, but if you are worried about volume, you can use the 'bulletin-board' function and get mail no more than once per day. Everyone: just be sensitive to non family docs on the list. This is not intended to be a family med club, but a group working on solutions to the ubiquitous problems facing health care in the U.S. We have a lot in common with the ACP Medical Home movement.Gordon __________________________________________________

January 4, 2007

I am

willing to help out in any way I can.

developing a survey group

hi, shirley,

i am solo family practice.

i have checked out surveymonkey, and it looks

great. 10 questions/100 respondents per survey for free.

that's fine, topics can be broken into 10 questions each, and if

necessary, be further subdivided later.

a survey group will need to be identified, and

kept closed, up to 100 respondents.

are there up to 100 practices within the

practiceimprovement1 group which will commit to being the survey group?

we have an opportunity to identify the key

characteristics of low overhead practice, including the definition of " low

overhead " , and success. this will help us, and help others.

who's in, and who's out?

i will not do this by myself. if we are

interested in this information, we'll have to do this together.

LL

Shirley PigottMD

<shirleypigottmdgmail> wrote:

Hi Lawrence,

Apparently anyone can set up a survey for free at survey monkey. Maybe

they have some obscure way to market the information they unearth, I don't

know. As best as I can tell it looks pretty clever; hopefully it can be

motivational as well as providing us with useful information. Why don't you do

one? Just go to www.surveymonkey.com

and go through the process. Kathy Saradarian did several last year for

docs on AAFP emr, practice mgmt, and private sector listservs. I don't know

what specialty you're in, but my direction is to try to get s/sg FPs to become

more involved in determining the future of private Family Medicine. If it perks

the interest of pediatricians and internists, that would be terrific.

Shirley Pigott MD

Texas

On 1/1/07, lawrence lyon <llyonmd> wrote:

i have looked at both of

those polls. they are related to aafp, and one's involvement, and what

are the respondent's pressing issues.

i don't know anything

about surveymonkey; if that is a tool we can use, that's great.

i am suggesting a survey

relating to low overhead and the various specific features by which one can

practice and maintain financial viability.