Re: Physician's Foundation survey

[Guest guest]

Fair enough on that single question - I hadn't read the way it was phrased, and

it was a

softball.

But these stats from the same survey make the same point that primary care is

dying on

the vine. While this is not news for many of us, I'm still surprised by the

number of non-

medical people I talk to who have no idea how bad this has gotten:

60% of the doctors would not recommend medicine as a career for young people.

17% said their practices were financially stable and profitable

6% said the morale of their physician colleagues was " positive " , 42% rated it

" poor " or " very

low "

78% said practicing medicine was " no longer rewarding " or " less rewarding "

The good news in all of this, and it's good news only from a fairly selfish

perspective, is

that those of us who create sustainable models for providing true quality care

are going to

be very much in demand - regardless of the revenue approach we take. At that

point

income and quality of life will improve, and medical students will slowly

gravitate back to

primary care.

However, from a public health perspective, the problem can't be solved quickly.

If we

snapped our fingers today and made primary care a great career, it would be

about 2015

before supply actually improved (2-3 years to get the word out plus 3-4 years of

training

time after choosing primary care) - and very few of us are snapping our fingers.

A lot of

baby-boomers are going to die from poor quality healthcare while we wait for

" market

forces " to address this. Fortunately, the pure " market forces " champions

(McCain and Bush

specifically) are out-of-vogue. Unfortunately, Obama (and Daschle - and Clinton

for that

matter) are pure insurance supply people - they've not shown a meaningful

understanding

of the difference between access to health insurance and access to quality

health care.

They think one necessarily follows the other, which we know is false.

> > >

> > > > Hi all:

> > > >

> > > > Many of you probably saw this, but just in case here it is:

> > > >

> > > >

> > http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/11/17/primary.care.doctors.study/index.html

> > > >

> > > > Half of all primary care doctors in the U.S. would quit if they had an

> > > > income alternative.

> > > >

> > >

> > > BUt how many plumbers and elctricians and landscapers and ffactory

> > workers

> > > would quit if they had an income alternative?

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > > --

> > > If you are a patient please allow up to 12 hours for a reply by email/

> > > please note the new email address.

> > > Remember that e-mail may not be entirely secure/

> > > MD

> > >

> > >

> > > ph fax

> > >

> >

> >

> >

>

>

>

> --

> If you are a patient please allow up to 12 hours for a reply by email/

> please note the new email address.

> Remember that e-mail may not be entirely secure/

> MD

>

>

> ph fax

>

[Guest guest]

Fair enough on that single question - I hadn't read the way it was phrased, and

it was a

softball.

But these stats from the same survey make the same point that primary care is

dying on

the vine. While this is not news for many of us, I'm still surprised by the

number of non-

medical people I talk to who have no idea how bad this has gotten:

60% of the doctors would not recommend medicine as a career for young people.

17% said their practices were financially stable and profitable

6% said the morale of their physician colleagues was " positive " , 42% rated it

" poor " or " very

low "

78% said practicing medicine was " no longer rewarding " or " less rewarding "

The good news in all of this, and it's good news only from a fairly selfish

perspective, is

that those of us who create sustainable models for providing true quality care

are going to

be very much in demand - regardless of the revenue approach we take. At that

point

income and quality of life will improve, and medical students will slowly

gravitate back to

primary care.

However, from a public health perspective, the problem can't be solved quickly.

If we

snapped our fingers today and made primary care a great career, it would be

about 2015

before supply actually improved (2-3 years to get the word out plus 3-4 years of

training

time after choosing primary care) - and very few of us are snapping our fingers.

A lot of

baby-boomers are going to die from poor quality healthcare while we wait for

" market

forces " to address this. Fortunately, the pure " market forces " champions

(McCain and Bush

specifically) are out-of-vogue. Unfortunately, Obama (and Daschle - and Clinton

for that

matter) are pure insurance supply people - they've not shown a meaningful

understanding

of the difference between access to health insurance and access to quality

health care.

They think one necessarily follows the other, which we know is false.

> > >

> > > > Hi all:

> > > >

> > > > Many of you probably saw this, but just in case here it is:

> > > >

> > > >

> > http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/11/17/primary.care.doctors.study/index.html

> > > >

> > > > Half of all primary care doctors in the U.S. would quit if they had an

> > > > income alternative.

> > > >

> > >

> > > BUt how many plumbers and elctricians and landscapers and ffactory

> > workers

> > > would quit if they had an income alternative?

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > > --

> > > If you are a patient please allow up to 12 hours for a reply by email/

> > > please note the new email address.

> > > Remember that e-mail may not be entirely secure/

> > > MD

> > >

> > >

> > > ph fax

> > >

> >

> >

> >

>

>

>

> --

> If you are a patient please allow up to 12 hours for a reply by email/

> please note the new email address.

> Remember that e-mail may not be entirely secure/

> MD

>

>

> ph fax

>