The Massachusetts Physician Practice Environment Index, a statistical measure of the factors that affect the delivery of patient care from physician practices, declined 0.9 percent in 2010. It was the Massachusetts Index's 16th decline in the last 17 years. During the same period, the statistically comparable U.S. Physician Practice Environment Index declined by 0.5 percent.
The continued deterioration in the Massachusetts Index in 2010 resulted primarily from increases in two weighted variables:
- Professional liability insurance premium rates
- Percent of physicians 55 years of age and over
The deterioration in the United States Index in 2010 resulted primarily from increases in two weighted variables:
- Percent of physicians 55 years of age and over
- Cost of maintaining a physician's practice
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