*Overall mortality; mortality from heart disease, mortality from cancer, neonatal mortality, life span, low birthweight.

One of the first studies done in the 50 US states showed that the number of primary care physicians per population was the only characteristic consistently related to better outcomes, including overall mortality rates, mortality rates form heart disease and cancer, neonatal mortality, life span, and low birthweight. Other factors were related to higher rates of some of these indicators, and the number of specialty physicians per population was related to poor outcomes of all of these types.

Source: Shi L. Primary care, specialty care, and life chances. Int J Health Serv 1994; 24(3):431-458.