The Evolving Primary Care Physician

Susan Okie, M.D.

N Engl J Med 2012; 366:1849-1853May 17, 2012

Selected by the AMICOR Jorge Ossana

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Audio Interview

Interview with Dr. Susan Okie on the ongoing evolution of the primary care physician. (16:45)

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The primary care doctor is a rapidly evolving species — and in the future could become an endangered one. As the United States grapples with the dual challenges of making health care more widely available and reducing the national price tag, it's hard to say how primary care physicians will fit into the delivery models that emerge. Will they be increasingly replaced by nurse practitioners and physician assistants? Will they become partners or leaders on multidisciplinary teams, spending more time supervising others and less interacting with patients? Will most become employees of large health systems, as solo and small-group practices disappear? Will having a primary care physician become a luxury, available chiefly to people who can pay a premium to enroll in a concierge practice?/.../