A policy imperative for primary care: reflections on Keystone II

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Health Policy
• Primary Care Research

Background:

• Family practice and primary care encounter persistent resistance within academic medicine.
• The essential role and proven effectiveness of primary care are well-established.
• Current academic discourse has not overcome this resistance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify effective strategies for advancing family medicine and primary care within academic settings.
• To propose a shift in focus from internal academic arguments to external policy engagement.
• To explore how primary care can address national health challenges, including care for the underserved.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of findings from the Second Advanced Forum in Family Medicine (Keystone II).
• Assessment of the impact of academic resistance on primary care advancement.
• Evaluation of potential strategies for enhancing the influence and success of primary care.

Main Results:

• Continued resistance to primary care approaches in academic medicine persists.
• Academic arguments and pleading are identified as ineffective responses.
• A strategic shift towards national health policy and political engagement is recommended.

Conclusions:

• Primary care should redirect efforts towards influencing national health policy.
• Political initiatives may offer greater academic success than purely academic endeavors.
• Addressing the needs of the underserved within cost constraints demonstrates primary care's commitment to critical health issues.