As Donald Trump begins to transition into his presidency, the healthcare community has begun to make predictions about the impact of Trump’s policies on independent physicians. But what can direct primary care providers expect to see the next four years?
Imagine if the only place you could bring your child when he develops flu-like symptoms, an ear infection, a nagging cough, a sore throat or needs a checkup or a refill for his asthma inhaler, was to a hospital emergency room. You would be paying an exorbitant amount for basic care. But, that is what's happening today. With dropping incomes coupled with difficulties in juggling patients, soaring bills and policies from insurance companies that encourage rushed office visits all mean that more primary care doctors are retiring or leaving medicine altogether. In addition, medical malpractice lawsuits, now are common, adding more layers of paper work, expense and stress to virtually every physician’s day.
Unless immediate and comprehensive reforms are implemented by the government, primary care—the backbone of the U.S. health care system—will collapse and the repercussions will be worse than the 2008 housing crisis. Luckily, there’s still time. Primary care isn't dead yet but it is on life-support.
Here's why there are more primary care physicians leaving the medical field than entering.
Hospital emergency departments are a critical and indispensable component of the U.S. health care system which is why overuse has become a national concern and worry amongst hospitals, policy makers and healthcare providers.
The U.S. is in the midst of a healthcare bubble that will put the housing bubble to shame. Here's an explanation.
Primary care physicians are downbeat about the future of the medical profession.
Right now today, doctors are too busy and patients are unable to schedule timely appointments. As a result, they are bypassing primary care, since a same day appointment is but a memory of the past, and joining the stampede to the local hospital emergency room. And now, emergency departments are inundated, crippled, and some are even crushed. The gatekeeper function of primary care is defunct and it’s ruining the healthcare system.
When we’re young, it’s up to our parents to take care of us. If there’s a tummy ache or a sniffle, we turn to them for the answers. But then we grow up and it’s not always so clear who has the answers. Along the way, we turn to doctors to answer the more difficult and complicated questions. In the age of the internet, websites and forums can seem like doctors on demand. The problem with turning to the web for information is that it’s just not a replacement for a doctor.
Do you love the holidays? There's nothing quite like a day filled with food, family, football, and did we mention the food? :)
Each night millions of Americans struggle to fall asleep or stay asleep. Are you one of these people who endure restless, sleepless nights? Research is uncovering mindfulness to be one of the most powerful sleep aids on the planet.
According to researchers at Georgia State University, viruses, such as influenza, could survive on children's toys long enough to place children at risk for getting infectious diseases.
