The American College of Physicians has released a white paper that supports the importance of primary care in providing patients with better outcomes at lower cost and the urgency of the need to prevent shortages of primary care physicians.
"The evidence for the value of primary care is clear," said Jeffery P. Harris, MD, president of the ACP. "It manifests itself in better quality of life, more productive longevity and lower costs as a result of reduced hospitalization, improved prevention and better coordination of chronic disease care."
Featuring more than 100 studies over 20 years, "How is a Shortage of Primary Care Physicians Affecting the Quality and Cost of Medical Care?" provides an overview of current trends in the primary care physician workforce, the importance and value of primary care and the growing demand for primary care services in the United States.
The ACP holds that new policies formed by the federal government, large employers and other purchasers, health plans and the medical profession itself should:
- focus on primary care;
- adopt a patient-centered, physician-guided model of healthcare delivery to provide Americans with optimal care;
- restructure payment policies to support the value of care provided by primary care physicians;
- and provide debt relief to those pursuing careers in primary medicine.
If Congress fails to act, ACP officials say, the consequences will include higher costs, greater inefficiency, lower quality, more uninsured persons and growing patient and physician dissatisfaction.
Averting the collapse of primary care is the best cure for an ailing healthcare system, the ACP says.
"President-elect Obama and the new Congress should embrace these recommendations as they look for primary solutions to the triple challenge of improving access, improving quality and controlling costs," Harris said.
The ACP is developing a comprehensive set of recommendations to assure that the supply of primary care physicians is sufficient to meet current and future needs. Many of the group's ideas are reflected in the Patient Access to Primary Care Act, H.R. 7192, introduced by Rep. Allyson Schwartz, D-Pa.