The United States Of America

According to Health Resources and Services Administration If the system for providing primary care in 2020 were to stay fundamentally the same as today, there will be an estimated shortage of 20,400 primary care physicians ("Projecting the Supply and Demand for Primary Care Practitioners Through 2020," n.d.). In addition this projection doesn’t include the decreasing number of people perusing the medical degree and the baby boomers retiring form this filed of science. In the hand we are experiencing a significant increase in NPs and PAs. Considering this projected shortage, which is actually a very frightening situation the increasing number of NPs and PAs, can effectively be integrated; we could reduce the number of physician shortage by over 69 percent in 2020.

The purpose of this paper is to address the issue of the physician shortage in Unite State of America. This is more exactly delineate as a gap between the population’s demand for primary care services and the capacity of primary care, as currently delivered, respond to the demand. According to Nile (2015), physician is person trained and licensed to practice medicine or an individual with a Doctor degree in medicine. Physicians play a central role in health care delivery. Although now, physicians are sharing patient care responsibility with a team of Physician assistant (PA) and Nurse Practitioner (NP), especially with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act implementations. The PA and NP are alternative to medical doctor or physician

Providing care in primary care is less costly than a physician since since they tend

Primary care physicians are vital to prevention. These physicians are a patient’s first line of contact with the healthcare system and they have the difficult task of conducting checkups to screen for all diseases. Unfortunately, it is much more common for a medical student to specialize in another field due to a much greater salary and more narrowed scope of practice. As a result, the number of specialists is much greater than the number of primary care physicians, creating a

The Contributions of Physician Assistants in Primary Care Methods Health Profession Assignment To understand the role of health profession, it is essential to acknowledge the importance and value of primary care. The beneficial impact of primary care on population health can further be explained as greater access to health services, better quality of care, additional contributions towards prevention strategies, prior action taken on health issues, and lastly the role of primary care in reducing unreliable and inefficient support towards cure (Dover, Christian 10). Primary care professionals serve as the first contact providers of healthcare (AAPA, 2). They face first contact to the role of healthcare system.

Economics and health were two independent subjects in high school, but nothing is truly independent in the real world. Supply and demand, one of the principals of economics, perfectly sums up the problem with primary health care. The supply of primary care physicians, also known as PCPs, is lacking by almost 52,000 providers to be able to fulfill the demand of the public within the next couple of years, and this isn’t a new issue (Petterson et al., 2012). Since the 1970’s there has been a shortage of PCPs, and it is becoming a bigger problem as the population grows and ages (Wilensky, 2014). The number of PCPs currently in the United States is not enough to meet the needs of the population. The view of primary care physicians and their salaries need to change in the U.S. to encourage more medical students to enter this much-needed field of practice. This paper will explore the reasons behind the shortage of PCPs and how the Affordable Care Act and the American Nurses Association are addressing this issue.

Even after half a decade there remains a shortage in primary care providers with only a reported one forth of medical school graduates seeking residencies in family practice, pediatrics, and obstetrics/gynecology. The FNP is a qualified clinically competent healthcare member that can fill this void in primary care in this cost-sensitive society. Despite barriers like the lack of third-party reimbursement, prescriptive authority, and hospital admission privileges the projected employment

Gaining physician support will help to gain ground on NP’s becoming the frontline for primary care. 2. NP’s will continue to infiltrate all aspects of the healthcare world. NP’s should have access to every area of healthcare, and be able to prove that they are capable of managing excellent patient care to all types of

Those PCPs are either dissatisfied with their practice or patients are not satisfied with them for multiple, but fixable problems. This is the area that needs a lot of attention and where money spent will be well-spent. The American Healthcare system is in desperate need of not just increasing the number of primary care physicians, but more importantly, providing them with a customized training and a well-equipped work environment so they can serve their roles in the best manner.

Recent changes in health insurance coverage and the changing face of the patient population have converged to create a unique healthcare marketplace, rife with opportunities not only for patients but for providers as well. With the passing of the Affordable Health Care Act, 32 million Americans who previously could not afford health care insurance coverage became eligible to purchase affordable healthcare. These patients, therefore, will be able to receive services they have perhaps needed but were previously unable to afford. (Furlow, 2012) The American population includes 75.4 million Baby Boomers, who will be enjoying the retirement years but will be managing chronic health conditions such as COPD, heart disease, and diabetes. (American Hospital Association, 2007) While this increased patient population seeking healthcare services is causing concern for a problematic shortage of physicians, (Raines, 2014) it also heralds new and exciting solutions which include opening doors for midlevel providers, such as Nurse Practitioners and Physician’s Assistants, to succeed as primary healthcare providers in the world of a rapidly changing healthcare system.

Today, the United States is facing a shortage of about 16,000 primary care physicians and this number will continue to grow by 2025 (Amirault, 2014). Primary care physicians (PCPs) are the doctors who focus on overall health and offer the treatments and preventive screenings that save lives. A physician shortage is a situation in which there are not enough providers to treat all patients in need of medical care. The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) has long pointed out that the shortage of primary care physicians will be a major setback for the American healthcare system advancing (Amirault, 2014). The shortage of primary care providers presents

With the baby boomers aging, the need for primary care providers has been in high demand now more than ever.

The presence of nurse practitioners (NP) in health care has been necessary for more than five decades. The American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) indicates that there are over 205,000 NPs in the United States being utilized by Americans for their health care needs (AANP, 2015). NPs are a vital part of the modern health care system and are accepted by both health care consumers and other health care providers (Fairman, 2015). A study performed by Hart and Mirabella (2015), of emergency department patients determined that patients were satisfied with treatment by a NP in the past and were willing to receive treatment from the NP during their current visit. A study conducted in emergency departments in Canada indicated that NPs demonstrate attentiveness, comprehensive care, and role clarity (Thrasher 2008). These positive characteristics are critical components of patient satisfaction. Additionally, NPs have been utilized more especially with more American developing insurance coverage through health care reform. According to the Department of Health and Human Services (2013), those seeking services in primary care is expected to continually rise through 2020. This increased demand is largely due to the growth of an aging population and from the Affordable Care Act increase in insurance benefits. The Affordable Care Act, along with the shortage of primary care physicians, has expanded the role of the nurse

On an average, primary physician groups may see about four or five patients within an hour, probably about one patient every fifteen minutes. Because of increase productivity and cost restraints and pressures, this number could increase dramatically. This trend, unfortunately, will be matching the burden of physicians declining incomes and job market. A lessor number of physicians earn what physicians earned many years ago. Primary health has been affected more as compared to services rendered. Additionally, the shift to a bundled fee for performance from the fee for service reimbursement system for force solo practicing physicians and small group practices into forming or partnering into

The overall health care industry has undergone fundamental change over the last decade. Most of the changes have occurred within the underlying business operation of the healthcare industry. Legislation in particular has had a profound impact on the health care industry. First, due to the Affordable Care Act of 2010, the nursing profession is undergoing a fundamental shift in regards to the patient experience. The U.S. health care system is now shifting the focus from acute and specialty care to that of primary care which requires a shift in business operations. Also, due primarily to that aging of the baby boomer generation, the need for primary car overall is shifting and will be needed heavily in the future. The last 10 years in particular has seen an increasing influx of retiring baby boomers that subsequently need care. A positive impact on the ACA legislation is that more individuals are now insured. As such, the need for primary care will also increase over subsequent years, particular within the minority population. This patient centric approach will require more care predicated on specific communities in a seamless manner. Furthermore, primary care physicians will be in high demand over the coming years.