Mandated Self-Reporting of Workforce Data Collected During Medical License Application or Renewal:

Surveys required of licensed medical practitioners under the 2011 New Mexico Health Care Work Force Data Collection, Analysis and Policy Act produce knowledge useful for state health care workforce planning. As a case example, we examined responses to the mandatory survey from all obstetricians-gynecologists (ob-gyns) licensed and actively practicing in New Mexico between 2013 and 2015. In 2015, there were 389 licensed ob-gyns in New Mexico; two-thirds (254, 65.3%) practiced in the state. Eleven of 33 counties had no ob-gyn and no inpatient maternity services. More than half of all ob-gyns were female (54.1%), and females were younger than males (median age: 48.2 versus 61.4 years). Very few providers stated that their practice was too full to accept new patients. Most ob-gyns were employed (rather than practice owner-operators), and few worked in independent practices. The 28.7% of all ob-gyns who worked in non-metropolitan counties were more likely to be male, white, older, and work more hours. In conclusion, mandated self-reporting of workforce data provided a rich information source for use in evaluating medical specialty trends in New Mexico. Longitudinal observations will identify trends, along with an ability to isolate factors that either determine or are determined by these trends.