NY Times article

[davicole]

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/07/health/07health.html?pagewanted=2&em

Great article in today's NY times....food for thought.

dc

[Abe Young]

Dave, thanks for the great article (of course I didn't have time till now to read it).

Btw out of curiosity, has anyone here been interested in possibly going into primary care medicine, but have been deterred by hearing about things like low pay, overwhelming patient load, inevitably rushed visits, etc.?  I know I have felt that way at times, and it's nice to hear about these innovative practices by current docs & possible healthcare reforms.

In addition to those interesting anecdotes/case studies of the challenges that primary care docs face--and the solutions that they've come up with--below are some details I thought especially interesting.  If anyone else has any thoughts I'd love to hear!
-Abe

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--> "The Obama administration is considering ways to persuade medical students to pursue careers in primary care by raising their pay, and is channeling them to work in underserved rural areas. And the White House has already set aside $2 billion for community health centers through the economic stimulus package."

--> "By stepping off the big-clinic treadmill, where doctors are sometimes asked to see a different patient every 15 minutes, Dr. Batlle has joined the vanguard of physicians trying to redefine health care. These doctors spend more time with patients, emphasize prevention and education to keep them healthy and can handle many medical problems without referrals to specialists.  In many cases, this kind of care can reduce a patient’s medical bills."

--> "To make personalized care possible in an era when compensation is often tied to the number of patients they see, doctors use technology to streamline processes and reduce administrative costs. Dr. Batlle, for example, uses online appointment scheduling and manages his medical records electronically. He prescribes medications from his computer and offers virtual visits by phone and e-mail."

--> "Dr. Sacks said the financial mechanics of the direct-practice model match her medical goals. When she was compensated based on insurance, she was paid every time she saw a patient. Now, if she can use education and prevention to reduce office visits, she and her patients benefit, she said.  “Having more time to sit with each patient has made me a better doctor,” she said. “I had a disabled patient that I saw for 13 years. Until she came to my new clinic, I never had the time to learn the details of her accident and the resulting complications. I was always treating whatever the immediate concern was.”