For awhile now, I've been reading about the crisis in primary care. I've been concerned about the predictions of a shortage of primary care physicians, but I've always had this sense that there might be time to address the problem.
Recently, however, I read the results of a survey of some 12,000 physicians, most of whom are in primary care. I no longer believe we have the luxury of time. In fact, I worry that even the best of health care reform efforts will be doomed to failure unless we begin to take steps immediately to address the situation.
I write about the survey and the primary care crisis in this week's "Doctor and Patient" column. Tara Parker-Pope blogs about it in "Well," where you can leave a comment.
