Declining numbers of family physicians are caring for children

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Health Workforce Studies
• Public Health Policy

Background:

• The primary care workforce is growing, yet significant disparities in provider distribution for child healthcare persist.
• Family physicians (FPs) dedicate about 10% of their practice time to pediatric care.
• Geographic distribution of FPs is more even across the US compared to other physician specialties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the critical issue of maldistribution of providers for child healthcare.
• To underscore the importance of the share of family physicians (FPs) dedicated to pediatric care.
• To inform policymakers about potential challenges to child healthcare access, particularly in light of upcoming insurance expansions.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of primary care workforce distribution data.
• Examination of self-reported practice time allocation among family physicians.
• Assessment of geographic accessibility of pediatric care providers.

Main Results:

• Profound maldistribution of healthcare providers for children continues despite workforce growth.
• A self-reported decline in the proportion of family physicians (FPs) focusing on child care was observed.
• Family physicians (FPs) remain the most evenly geographically distributed physician specialty in the US.

Conclusions:

• The declining share of family physicians (FPs) caring for children is a significant concern for public health policy.
• Ensuring adequate pediatric care access requires addressing the maldistribution and potential decrease in FP involvement.
• Policymakers must consider these trends, especially with anticipated insurance expansion impacting healthcare demand.