The Problematic Role of Primary Care Doctors
A post that recently appeared on the popular physician blog KevinMD.com was entitled “Why patients don’t value primary care doctors.” The author, an Internal Medicine physician, laid out a scenario that most Family Medicine doctors can relate to very well.
A patient who hasn’t seen his primary care provider in a long time makes an office visit mainly to get a specialist referral. The irony is, had the patient made regular visits to his PCP and followed a course of preventative care, he probably would not require treatment from a specialist for a medical condition that’s now in an advanced stage.
The point is that the primary care physician, placed in a “gatekeeper” role by insurance payers and managed care organizations, is put in a peculiar position. To help contain health care costs, the doctor is required to limit utilization of physician resources by making careful, limited referrals. On the other hand, the current health care system appears to emphasize, to a great extent, treatment by way of complex specialty care rather than by routine primary care. It would seem that, in effect, primary care doctors are often viewed—even by patients—as a mere functionary in bureaucratic paper processing.
Our Special Report carefully examines the way primary care physicians are perceived in the medical profession and rhetorically asks, “Are they unsung heroes?” Readers can reach their own conclusions.
Cordially,
Calvin Bruce
Managing Editor