The Future of Primary Care
Authors: Harold C. Sox
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2003)

Editorials4 February 2003The Future of Primary CareHarold C. Sox, MD, EditorHarold C. Sox, MD, EditorSearch for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-138-3-200302040-00016 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail Primary care leaders and practitioners are concerned about the future of their specialty. In this issue of Annals, they explain their concerns and offer suggestions based on discussions at a conference on the Future of Primary Care held in October 2001. In this editorial, I underscore some of the reasons for concern, point out key elements of the mission of primary care, and identify points of leverage for renewal of the field.What is primary care? In 1978, the Institute of Medicine offered a memorable description: primary care is first contact, comprehensive, and continuing (1). A subsequent Institute of Medicine ...References1. Institute of Medicine. Report of a study: a manpower policy for primary health care. Washington, DC: National Academy of Sciences; 1978. Google Scholar2. Donaldson MS, Yordy KD, Lohr KN, Vanselow NA. Committee on the Future of Primary Care, Institute of Medicine. Primary Care: America's Health in a New Era. Washington, DC: National Academy of Sciences; 1996. Google Scholar3. Safran DG. Defining the future of primary care: what can we learn from patients? Ann Intern Med. 2003;138:248-55. LinkGoogle Scholar4. Moore G, Showstack J. Primary care medicine in crisis: toward reconstruction and renewal. Ann Intern Med. 2003;138:244-7. LinkGoogle Scholar5. Mechanic D, McAlpine DD, Rosenthal M. Are patients' office visits with physicians getting shorter? N Engl J Med. 2001;344:198-204. [PMID: 11172143] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar6. Ginsburg P. Payment and the future of primary care. Ann Intern Med. 2003;138:233-4. LinkGoogle Scholar7. Medical professionalism in the new millennium: a physician charter. Ann Intern Med. 2002;136:243-6. [PMID: 11827500] LinkGoogle Scholar8. Showstack J, Lurie N, Larson EB, Anderson Rothman A, Hassmiller S. Primary care: the next renaissance. Ann Intern Med. 2003;138:268-72. LinkGoogle Scholar9. Anderson Rothman A, Wagner EH. Chronic illness management: what is the role of primary care? Ann Intern Med. 2003;138:256-61. LinkGoogle Scholar10. Ayanian JZ, Landrum MB, Guadagnoli E, Gaccione P. Specialty of ambulatory care physicians and mortality among elderly patients after myocardial infarction. N Engl J Med. 2002;347:1678-86. [PMID: 12444183] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar11. Inui TS, Williams WT, Goode L, Anderson RJ, Bhak KN, Forsyth JD, . Sustaining the development of primary care in academic medicine. Working Group on Sustaining the Development of Academic Primary Care. Association of American Medical Colleges. Acad Med. 1998;73:245-57. [PMID: 9526451] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAuthors: Harold C. Sox, MD, EditorAffiliations: Corresponding Author: Customer Service, American College of PhysiciansAmerican Society of Internal Medicine, 190 N. Independence Mall West, Philadelphia, PA 19106. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoThe Future of Primary Care Clair Morud The Future of Primary Care Scott A. Shipman , Jon D. Lurie , and David C. Goodman The Future of Primary Care Clifton R. Cleaveland Metrics Cited byEvaluation of an Electronic Health Record Alert to Improve Screening and Management of Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke Factors in a High-Risk PopulationWaterpipe smoking cessation: knowledge, barriers, and practices of primary care physicians- a questionnaire-based cross-sectional studyComprehensive process model of clinical information interaction in primary care: results of a “best-fit” framework synthesisIn search of attachment: a qualitative study of chronically ill women transitioning between family physicians in rural Ontario, CanadaPrimary care and international health links: should GPs get more involved?Primary Care in an Aging Society: Building and Testing a Microsimulation Model for Policy PurposesVeterans' perceptions of care by nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and physicians: A comparison from satisfaction surveysPatient computer use to prompt doctor adherence to diabetes management guidelinesThe development of self-efficacy beliefs during general practice vocational training: An exploratory studyFamily practice: Professional identity in transition. A case study of family medicine in CanadaThe present status and future role of family doctors: a perspective from the International Federation of Primary Care Research NetworksPrimary Care and Health Services Section: An Opportunity for Pain Medicine and Primary Care to Come TogetherPerspective: United We Stand, Divided We Fall: The Case for a Single Primary Care Specialty in the United StatesLa dialéctica entre la medicina interna y las otras especialidades médicas desde la perspectiva profesionalRedesigning Payment of Internal Medicine: A Financial ChallengePhysician assistants and nurse practitioners: the United States experienceGeneral practice as seen through the eyes of general practice trainees: A qualitative studyEvaluation of a task-based community oriented teaching model in family medicine for undergraduate medical students in IraqAssessment of Knowledge of Primary Care Activities in a Sample of Medical and Chiropractic StudentsThe many C’s of primary careThe Future of Primary CareClair Morud, MDThe Future of Primary CareScott A. Shipman, MD, MPH, Jon D. Lurie, MD, MS, and David C. Goodman, MD, MSPrimary Care at a CrossroadsJonathan Showstack, PhD, MPH, Arlyss Anderson Rothman, PhD, MHS, FNP, and Susan Hassmiller, PhD, RN 4 February 2003Volume 138, Issue 3Page: 230-232KeywordsForecastingHealth careHealth care providersNursesPatientsPrevention, policy, and public healthPrimary carePrimary care physiciansSub-specialty careVision ePublished: 4 February 2003 Issue Published: 4 February 2003 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2003 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...