| Physician shortage? Yes, it is prevalent now in | | | | Older Primary care physicians are currently |
| many areas of the United States, such as Texas | | | | working under an ever increasing patient load |
| and will be a significant problem in the years | | | | because younger doctors are reluctant to |
| ahead. In 2006 sixty percent of the population | | | | become low paying general practitioners. Many are |
| believed there was already a physician shortage | | | | considering getting out of medicine altogether and |
| and sixty six percent agreed the problem would | | | | no longer recommend Primary Care practice to |
| worsen over the next ten years. Currently the | | | | younger associates. As a medical career, primary |
| United States has a lower mid range physician to | | | | care practice promises to come complete with |
| population level compared to many other | | | | grueling work hours, burdensome patient load and |
| countries. Korea for example, has the lowest | | | | almost nonexistent family time resulting in the |
| physician to population level and Greece has the | | | | perks being few and far between. Primary care |
| highest. | | | | physicians, at the present rate of attrition may |
| While there are multiple sources of information | | | | very well become an extinct species over the |
| detailing the causes and cures for the problem we | | | | next twenty years. |
| remain largely unaware of the impact this issue | | | | The American people, though they do not |
| will have on us as consumers of health care | | | | consciously think of it being related to an actual |
| services. | | | | physician shortage are growing wearier everyday |
| One fifth of the country's population live in areas | | | | of having to wait months for doctors |
| that have been designated as physician shortage | | | | appointments or having to go to the Emergency |
| areas. The lack of access to a Doctor has had | | | | Room during the night and weekends or during a |
| dire effects on those who live in these areas. | | | | holiday just to get help with many fairly minor |
| Many are unable to obtain timely Doctor's office | | | | issues. Statistics state that 70% of ER visits are |
| visits with wait times increasing significantly in | | | | actually not necessary at all. |
| direct correlation to the few physicians already | | | | Physician extenders are on the rise. As an answer |
| burdensome patient load. | | | | to this growing problem many of the services |
| There is also less opportunity to explore | | | | that are considered physician extenders such as |
| preventative measures so that when the patients | | | | nursing professions and physicians assistants are |
| present themselves the outcomes tend to be | | | | rapidly ramping up services that can augment the |
| poorer in nature. Furthermore, many of the rural | | | | rapidly increasing Primary Care physician deficit. |
| community hospitals have had to close citing | | | | Telemedicine is another viable answer coming to |
| financial problems thereby exacerbating the scope | | | | the forefront. An emerging technology in all areas |
| of the problem. | | | | of medicine is the steady insertion of telemedicine |
| Foresight was shortsighted? Yes indeed, adding to | | | | where it makes sense for the physician and the |
| the ever increasing shortage, the American | | | | patient. Telemedicine curtails time and travel |
| Medical Association as well as other medical | | | | expenses for both the medical provider and the |
| groups in the 1990s were predicting that there | | | | patient by utilizing technologies such as phones, |
| would be a surplus of doctors. These predictions | | | | faxes and the internet. Its use can dramatically |
| astoundingly resulted in many of the medical | | | | enhance diagnostic time when using video |
| colleges instituting an enrollment freeze to the | | | | conferencing systems in provider consultations |
| extent that there were virtually no increases in | | | | and patient interviews. The visual aspect of the |
| the numbers of enrolling students from 1980 to | | | | service can allow the physician to observe |
| 2005. All the while our nation's population sizes | | | | conditions, correlate symptoms and provide |
| were experiencing an overall increase of nearly | | | | diagnosis without having to travel to remote |
| one third in size. | | | | locations or countries. |
| We are getting older across the nation. As the | | | | As in the internal medical industry institutes |
| numbers of geriatric populations double in size by | | | | telemedicine in literally all areas of practice, they |
| the year 2030, the specialized areas of medicine | | | | are also now implementing medical services online |
| that serve these populations will feel the greatest | | | | to consumers over the internet. These pioneers |
| impact of all. These targeted fields of practice will | | | | are assisting the consumer with medical questions, |
| show the largest shortages as high as twenty | | | | health maintenance and often even a prescription |
| five percent per 100,000 patients by the year | | | | for medication without the consumer having to |
| 2020. | | | | step foot in a doctor's office at all. Voila! Shortly |
| Why? Statistically, groups between the ages of | | | | we will have instant gratification and convenience |
| 65 and 80 consume many more health care | | | | of medical treatment with the click of a mouse! |
| services than any other age group. In fact they | | | | The medical community is continually looking for |
| utilize medical services at three times the rate of | | | | ways to impact the physician's shortage and |
| the younger folks. Additionally, doctor's office calls | | | | further exploration and enhancement of |
| show a marked increase for those over age | | | | telemedicine as it relates to direct interaction with |
| sixty-five and to one study the actual visits rise | | | | patients is imperative. |
| 25% between ages 55 to 65 and then an | | | | Telemedicine even widens the scope of the |
| additional 25%, for a total of 50% after age 75. | | | | physicians practice providing doctors with a |
| The increase in patient visits and decrease in | | | | broader access to patients that are not within his |
| specialized practices may be one day known as | | | | personal geographical area of practice. Though |
| the perfect storm in the medical community. | | | | they must pass rigorous examination even retired |
| Doctors are not immune to aging either. While the | | | | physicians now have a choice to continue to |
| baby boomers did a great job of supplying the | | | | practice medicine in whatever capacity they |
| populations that went into medicine, presently | | | | choose without having to maintain a physical |
| there are over 250,000 Doctors that are | | | | office or malpractice insurance. |
| currently over the age of 55. As this baby | | | | Telemedicine is a win- win for both prospective |
| boomer segment of the population begins to | | | | patients and health care and I believe will rapidly |
| retire, it will add dramatically to the physician | | | | become the preferred way to medical assistance |
| shortage, creating an alarming rate of attrition. | | | | in the not too distant future. |