Opinion
Incentives needed to keep, boost primary care practices
LETTER — Posted Feb. 2, 2009
Regarding "Bolster primary care: Avert a physician shortage" (Editorial, Jan. 5): As a primary care physician, I read with interest the proposed solutions to the inevitable shortage of like-minded doctors, mostly tuition credits or educational debt forgiveness for physicians currently in school or training as enticement to become physicians with relatively lower pay, longer work hours and burdensome overhead.
In our disease-focused health care system, I am not surprised to see a lack of solutions focusing on prevention of a PCP shortage, namely efforts to keep current PCPs practicing primary care. How about incentives to keep those of us who chose primary care for the right reasons practicing primary care? Or here's a novel idea: How about honest reimbursement?
Kevin Scott Winfield, MD, Houston
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2009/02/02/edlt0202.htm.
