Regular readers know how important it is to have your own primary care physician.

If you have one, hang on tight.

The primary care shortage already is being felt in many places, as this AP story says. In the next 10 years medical manpower forecasts show America will come up 40,000 primary care doctors short.

As the full story notes, one model which has been being discussed for some time is that of the “medical home.” A team of care-givers—doctors, nurses and others—could change the nature of the office visit by having patients seen by the care-giver who can help them with what they need. All of the visit pressure is not on the 10 minutes in the exam room.

This shortage might make the medical home model the answer to winning back young doctors in training to primary care. It is not that they don’t love it when they are in training. It is that they often come out of training with a lot of debt and primary care pays the least of any specialty. They face long, long hours. Compared to specialists, primary care does not look as if it can be a good life for a young doctor and family.

The job of being a primary care doctor needs fixing, as one of our favorite medical bloggers, DB’s Medrant’s says. Maybe the medical home is part of the answer.

AP

“Better beat the crowd and find a doctor.

“Primary care physicians already are in short supply in parts of the country, and the landmark health overhaul that will bring them millions more newly insured patients in the next few years promises extra strain.

“The new law goes beyond offering coverage to the uninsured, with steps to improve the quality of care for the average person and help keep us well instead of today’s seek-care-after-you’re-sick culture. To benefit, you’ll need a regular health provider.

“Yet recently published reports predict a shortfall of roughly 40,000 primary care doctors over the next decade, a field losing out to the better pay, better hours and higher profile of many other specialties. Provisions in the new law aim to start reversing that tide, from bonus payments for certain physicians to expanded community health centers that will pick up some of the slack. ” (Emphasis added)

Source: AP, March 28, 2010