Physician group: Primary care is doomed

Primary care, the backbone of the nation’s health care system, will collapse unless several reforms are made, according to a recent study published by the American College of Physicians. The study paints a gloomy picture for the field of practice bluntly revealing serious obstacles to today’s practitioners.

“Without primary care, the health care system will become increasingly fragmented, over-specialized, and inefficient—leading to poorer quality care at higher costs,” the authors of the study state.

ACP has presented several proposals to stave off the predicted collapse of primary care, several of which closely resemble TAFP and AAFP initiatives. The most important of these is the creation of a new and more comprehensive method of paying primary care physicians for what they do. The authors recommend more accurate physician compensation for disease prevention measures, payment for e-mail and telephone consultations and more accurate Medicare reimbursement policies. Other proposals stress the importance of developing an advanced medical home and utilizing health information technology and patient-driven health care to improve the overall quality of care.

To view the complete study, visit www.acponline.org/hpp/statehc06.htm.