How does U.S. primary care stack up? International research group examines
Among high-income countries, U.S. adults were the second least likely to have a regular doctor or place to go for care, ahead of only Sweden, according to the Commonwealth Fund data. The majority of adults in all 11 countries reported having a regular doctor or place of care, but adults in the U.S. and Sweden reported this at significantly lower rates than adults in most of the countries, Commonwealth reported in a recent examination of how the U.S. compares in primary care.
Some of the other findings:
- U.S. adults are the least likely to have a longstanding relationship with a primary care provider.
- Access to home visits or after-hours care is lowest in the U.S.
- U.S. primary care providers are the most likely to screen for social service needs.
- One-third of U.S. primary care physicians have mental health providers in their practice, compared with nearly all in the Netherlands and Sweden.
- Half of U.S. primary care physicians report adequate coordination with specialists and hospitals – around the average for the 11 countries studied.
“While there is a shortage of health workers globally, our analysis demonstrates that the U.S. primary care system trails far behind those of other countries in many areas, particularly when it comes to health care access and continuity,” The Commonwealth Fund said in its conclusion.
To read the full report, as well as several policy option suggestions for U.S. policymakers to consider as they work to improve primary care visit www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/issue-briefs/2022/mar/primary-care-high-income-countries-how-united-states-compares.
Michigan experiencing primary care decline
According to the Detroit Free Press, Michigan is experiencing a decline in the number of primary care physicians, with more shortages expected by 2030, particularly impacting residents in underserved areas. The shortages can be curbed, in part, by beefing up state funding for existing programs to recruit, train and retain physicians in that field, a group of family medicine physicians told the Free Press. Michigan has 269 health professional shortage areas, where either the proportion of family physicians and primary care physicians is too low or there are no primary care physicians whatsoever, according to Kaiser Family Foundation data, said Dr. Jennifer Aloff, a family physician at Midland Family Physicians.
Expanding access to care in Indiana
The United Health Foundation has launched a partnership with HealthNet, a nonprofit health care provider serving Indiana, to expand access to primary and behavioral health care in Morgan and Monroe counties in Indiana, as well as low-income areas in Indianapolis. The $2 million, three-year grant will allow HealthNet to bring medical professionals and a mobile health vehicle to neighborhoods in Indianapolis, and Morgan and Monroe counties four days a week. The program will address health disparities by:
- Bringing primary care, preventive services and mental health screenings to underserved communities.
- Providing high-risk patients with at-home monitoring devices to track their own health.
- Making referrals to dental care, substance use disorder treatment, specialty care and other health supports for patients.
The HealthNet-United Health Foundation partnership is expected to improve adult and child immunization rates, breast cancer screenings and colorectal cancer screenings by 15% as well as improve cervical cancer screenings by 20% over baseline, according to a release. Additionally, the partnership aims to improve health outcomes of individuals with chronic conditions such as diabetes and hypertension.