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Impact of State Laws Limiting Malpractice Awards on Geographic Distribution of Physicians

Table 5. County data: Variable means
(1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, and 2000 data; N =14,640)

Description of variable Mean
Number of physicians per 100,000 residents 116.84
Residency = 0/1, =1 if county had a hospital with a residency training program in 2000 .10
Percent of population unemployed 5.33
Births = number of births per 100,000 residents 1305.80
Rural, measures degree of "ruralness" of county on scale (0 = least rural, 9 = most rural) 5.43
High HMO penetration (above 30 percent) (1=yes, 0=no) 21.7
Temperate climate (average temp>70 degrees) (1=yes, 0=no) .04
State law capping damage awards in malpractice cases (1=yes, 0=no) .37

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