Practice activity trends among oral and maxillofacial surgeons in Australia

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to describe practice activity trends among oral and maxillofacial surgeons in Australia over time. METHODS All registered oral and maxillofacial surgeons in Australia were surveyed in 1990 and 2000 using mailed self-complete questionnaires. RESULTS Data were available from 79 surgeons from 1990 (response rate = 73.8%) and 116 surgeons from 2000 (response rate = 65.1%). The rate of provision of services per visit changed over time with increased rates observed overall (from 1.43 +/- 0.05 services per visit in 1990 to 1.66 +/- 0.06 services per visit in 2000), reflecting increases in pathology and reconstructive surgery. No change over time was observed in the provision of services per year (4,521 +/- 286 services per year in 1990 and 4,503 +/- 367 services per year in 2000). Time devoted to work showed no significant change over time (1,682 +/- 75 hours per year in 1990 and 1,681 +/- 94 hours per year in 2000), while the number of visits per week declined (70 +/- 4 visits per week in 1990 to 58 +/- 4 visits per week in 2000). CONCLUSIONS The apparent stability in the volume of services provided per year reflected a counterbalancing of increased services provided per visit and a decrease in the number of visits supplied.