Working Together—That's Innovation!
Authors: Howard K. Rabinowitz
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2004)

Editorials20 April 2004Working Together—That's Innovation!Howard K. Rabinowitz, MDHoward K. Rabinowitz, MDFrom Jefferson Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-140-8-200404200-00016 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail For the past 40 years, a major force driving primary care was the overall shortage of generalist physicians. Today, while primary care continues to face important challenges, we no longer have a consensus about the need for more generalists, except in rural and urban underserved areas. As a result, for the first time in recent history, the major focus of primary care leaders needs to shift from simply training more generalists to more clearly defining how primary care contributes to the health care system. Therefore, the 2 specialties that are the principal providers of care for adults in the United ...References1. Mold JW, Fryer GE, Phillips RL, Dovey SM, Green LA. Family physicians are the main source of primary health care for the Medicare population. Am Fam Physician. 2002;66:2032. [PMID: 12484684] MedlineGoogle Scholar2. Larson EB. Health care system chaos should spur innovation: summary of a report of the Society of General Internal Medicine Task Force on the Domain of General Internal Medicine. Ann Intern Med. 2004;140:639-43. LinkGoogle Scholar3. Phillips WR, Haynes DG. The domain of family practice: scope, role, and function. Fam Med. 2001;33:273-7. [PMID: 11322520] MedlineGoogle Scholar4. Fisher ES, Wennberg DE, Stukel TA, Gottlieb DJ, Lucas FL, Pinder EL. The implications of regional variations in Medicare spending. Part 1: the content, quality, and accessibility of care. Ann Intern Med. 2003;138:273-87. [PMID: 12585825] LinkGoogle Scholar5. Fisher ES, Wennberg DE, Stukel TA, Gottlieb DJ, Lucas FL, Pinder EL. The implications of regional variations in Medicare spending. Part 2: health outcomes and satisfaction with care. Ann Intern Med. 2003;138:288-98. [PMID: 12585826] LinkGoogle Scholar6. Shi L, Macinko J, Starfield B, Wulu J, Regan J, Politzer R. The relationship between primary care, income inequality, and mortality in US States, 1980-1995. J Am Board Fam Pract. 2003;16:412-22. [PMID: 14645332] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: From Jefferson Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107.Disclosures: None disclosed.Corresponding Author: Howard K. Rabinowitz, MD, Department of Family Medicine, Jefferson Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, 1015 Walnut Street, Suite 401 Philadelphia, PA 19107; e-mail, howard.[email protected]edu. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoMaking It Possible for General Internal Medicine To Survive Robert B. Copeland Reforming Payment for Primary Care: Making It Happen Gail R. Wilensky Customizing Residency Education Holly J. Humphrey Health Care System Chaos Should Spur Innovation: Summary of a Report of the Society of General Internal Medicine Task Force on the Domain of General Internal Medicine Eric B. Larson and Starting a Conversation about the Future of Internal MedicineGeneralism as Intention Richard J. Baron Metrics Cited ByLa dialéctica entre la medicina interna y las otras especialidades médicas desde la perspectiva profesionalRekindling Student Interest in Generalist CareersMark D. Schwartz, MD, William T. Basco Jr, MD, Michael R. Grey, MD, MPH, Joann G. Elmore, MD, MPH, and Arthur Rubenstein, MBBCh 20 April 2004Volume 140, Issue 8Page: 660-661KeywordsConflicts of interestHealth careHealth care providersMortalityMotivationPatientsPreventive medicinePrimary careUrban areas ePublished: 20 April 2004 Issue Published: 20 April 2004 CopyrightCopyright © 2004 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF DownloadLoading ...