the frustrations of primary care

Dr. Sandeep Jauhar writes an essay in today's New York Times about the growing frustrations of practicing medicine. With increased bureaucratic pressures, shorter patient visits, increasing malpractice costs, and lower reimbursements, a growing group of physicians are growing more fed up with the pressures of practicing medicine that have nothing to do with actual patient care. Some, even though they love patient care, are leaving medicine altogether.

The biggest threat to public health is the effect of these growing frustrations on primary care, which faces the biggest challenges and lowest reimbursements. Fewer physicians entering and staying in primary care creates a threat to the continuity of care for the patients who need it. This is a problem that drastically needs to be fixed.

You can find the essay here: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/17/health/views/17essa.html?ex=1371355200&en=505c2fbd5bfe4f7f&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink.