Boaz, Rachel Floersheim. 1972. "Manpower Utilization by Subsidized Family Planning Clinics: An Economic Criterion for Determining the Professional Skill-Mix." Journal of Human Resources 7(2):191-207.

Rapid expansion of publicly subsidized family planning clinics has increased their demand for qualified personnel. But are clinics employing the feasible skill-mix which is economically justifiable? The answer, based on a sample of 19 clinics, has been negative. In 17 clinics, the marginal cost per patient of the physician's services was much lower than the corresponding cost of services rendered by the clinic's other personnel. This finding, based on a small sample, should not be considered definitive, but, in view of the rising cost of services rendered by medical and paramedical personnel, it cannot be ignored. A more efficient organization of the clinic's resources is likely to reduce the cost of service per patient by increasing the number of patients served without any change in the clinic's expenditure.

The author would like to thank Victor R. Fuchs, Robert E. Lipsey, Charlotte F. Muller, T. Paul Schultz, and Anna J. Schwartz for their helpful comments and suggestions. This study benefited indirectly from the financial support granted by the Maternal and Child Health Service, U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, grant No. H-168-1(C2).

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