The pediatric marketplace
G. A. Martinez and A. S. Ryan
Ross Laboratories, Columbus, Ohio 43216.
This study presents an overview of the demography of office-based
pediatricians, trends in the patient population, and the growth of the
pediatricians' market share of children seeking primary medical care. The
following four factors bear directly on the present and future status of
the office-based pediatric practice: (1) size of the office-based
pediatrician population, (2) size of the pediatric patient population, (3)
the frequency of patient visits, and (4) the pediatric market share.
Results indicate that the pediatricians' market share of young children has
continued to grow. However, the pediatricians' share of young children has
not grown fast enough to offset an increase in the pediatrician population.
Continued growth of the pediatric practice may depend on developing
effective marketing strategies and providing more primary care to the
adolescent population.
