For a study, primary care crisis is caused by a lack of funding (as a percentage of total healthcare spending) and excessively big patient panels that individual physicians cannot handle effectively without a support staff. The second section dealt with the primary care issues and how they might be solved or lessened by modifying policies and practices. First, efforts to better primary care were discussed. Patient-centered medical homes (PCMHs), accountable care organizations (ACOs), and Comprehensive Primary Care Plus (CPC+) are examples of dispersed multi-component programs that have had limited effectiveness in solving the underlying concerns of primary care. Care management, open access, and telemedicine are more targeted programs with potential. For primary care to be fully revitalized, 2 key shifts were required: a significantly higher percentage of health expenditures devoted to primary care and the development of strong teams that increase the ability to care for large panels while decreasing burnout. The second section of the essay discussed 3 strategies for expanding funding for primary care: new laws at the state level, a reduction in the payment gap between Medicare and procedural specialties, and the work of health systems. The second part concludes with advice on assembling effective core and interprofessional teams.
Source: annfammed.org/content/20/5/469
