Family Physicians are Complex Care Physicians and Quality of Care Advancement Experts

Abstract

Sharma and coauthors 1 from the Graham Center present this issue's policy brief and suggest that family physicians should be considered "complex care physicians." The evidence? The majority of patients seeking care for 11 of 14 high-cost chronic conditions are more likely to see a primary care physician rather than the corresponding specialist physician, a fact that often is underappreciated. As we know, caring only for conditions requiring chronic care can be more than a full-time job; this article once again suggests that we do not have enough primary care physicians. At minimum, urgent, prevention, behavior change counseling, and health care coordination needs also must be met by this same workforce. In keeping with this theme of care across the spectrum, Cohen et al 2 show that family physicians are about 2.5 times more likely than obstetriciangynecologists to deal with additional nongynecologic health problems at the time of a preventive gynecologic visit. (Editors' note: but they are likely paid the same, which is unfortunate and inappropriate!) This suggests seeing an obstetrician-gynecologist for preventive gynecologic visits also would increase costs because the patient must then see another provider for the additional problems.

Physical activity counseling in primary care and family medicine residency training: a systematic review

“…A primary care setting provides an appropriate environment for PA counseling since it offers a first contact between primary care or family physicians and the majority of the population [ 10 , 11 ]. PA assessment and advice, as part of routine healthcare delivery, is one of the best means by which to promote PA [ 12 ].…”

Primary Health Care Providers’ Perspectives on Developing an eHealth Tool for Physical Activity Counselling: A Qualitative Study

“…1 PHC settings offer a first contact between providers and a large number of population. 2,3 In addition, PHC providers are perceived as a reliable and credible source of health information. 4 Promoting physical activity (PA) in PHC is a potential approach for increasing participation in PA. Several PA promotion programs are implemented in PHC settings around the world (eg Exercise is Medicine ® in Australia, Canada, Poland, Singapore, USA; Green Prescription in New Zealand; Let's Get Moving in UK).…”