Greek philosopher Heraclitus, some 2,500 years ago, is credited with writing that the only constant in life is change. And Benjamin Franklin wrote “when you’re done changing, you’re finished.” And so it is with medical care – advances come along every day in technique, technology, and practice – and practices, practitioners, and medical systems adapt to keep up to date. Changing healthcare demands are compelling primary care practices to adjust their approach to patient care.
You may have read about how AI is changing radiology practice, for example.
A piece recently caught my eye regarding how primary care is adapting to changing personal tastes, practices, and expectations. Maybe health care is, accordingly, adjusting to be more patient-centered. That is the general thrust of the recent set of recommendations for primary care providers to succeed in the near future.
The article reflected advice by the Advisory Board for primary care physicians that advised primary care providers to be available (that is, for same-day acute care appointments), make follow-up easier (for taking and reporting imaging, labs, and filling prescriptions), demonstrating genuine care in a patient’s well being, using a team-based approach with mid-level providers as necessary, and to be flexible with the types of visits available to patients. Not everyone and not every condition needs in-person appointments for example, but many patients prefer face to face appointments.
My recent personal experience has been that finding a new primary care provider is a delayed, frustrating experience. Anecdotally, with consolidation there seem to be less primary care providers in our area, and getting in to see one for a new patient visit required something like a six week wait. It stands to reason then that many folks opt to forego the frustration of establishing care with a primary care provider in favor of acute care at an urgent care center.
Primary care plays an important role in preventative care; and being able to adapt to changing healthcare demands will keep the practice central to many patients’ well being.
