Oversimplifying Primary Care Supply and Shortages

Freed and Stockman comment on the crisis related to a shortage of primary care physicians. The need to understand primary care workforce issues in a specialty-specific manner is critical, because any policy changes or economic incentives that affect the proportion of physicians pursuing primary care will likely have a differential effect across the primary care specialties. Attempting to ensure an appropriate primary care workforce to meet the needs of the US is a complex and daunting task that is vital to the ultimate health of the nation. Oversimplifying the nuances of the primary care workforce may result in policies and priorities at odds with needs.