Comparison of the Complexity of Patients Seen by Different Medical Subspecialists in a Universal Health Care System

Key Points Question Are there differences in the complexity of patients seen by different types of physicians? Findings In this population-based cohort study of 2.5 million Canadian adults, there were substantial differences in markers of complexity for patients seen by different types of physicians, including medical subspecialists. Patients seen by nephrologists, infectious disease specialists, and neurologists were consistently more complex, whereas patients seen by allergists, dermatologists, and family physicians consistently tended to be less complex. Meaning Substantial between-specialty differences were found in 9 different markers of patient complexity. The relative rank of the different specialties studied is less important than the finding that there are wide variations in complexity between specialties, which has implications for medical education and health policy.