The evolving role of the primary care physician

In today's climate of health care reform, the title of this article might more appropriately be "Is the Role of the Primary Care Physician Evolving or Going the Way of the Dinosaur?" According to Koop, primary care is in trouble. Whereas only 29 percent of U.S. physicians are primary care physicians, in Great Britain, 72 percent of physicians are primary care physicians and in Europe and Canada the average is 50 percent. Many U.S. primary care physicians are in the later stages of their careers and nearing retirement age. Unless the supply increases, this number will dwindle further. However, in 1992, only 14 percent of U.S. medical school graduates were headed for primary care careers. Even if the supply of primary care graduates were increased to 50 percent of the graduating medical school class, it would be well into the next century before the ratio of primary care physicians to specialists would be equal. Primary care is at a critical juncture and the next few years will decide the fate of the primary care physician. Given the state of primary care today, I believe that a fundamental look at the assumptions regarding the role of primary care physicians is in order. The current health reform movement has placed a major responsibility on primary care to solve many of the problems in health care delivery today, such as cost, utilization, and prevention. Many health care organizations are planning strategies involving primary care providers, and physician executives can play a key role in these decisions.