Rising number of physicians are leaving primary care

Physician stress has always been a fact of life, but anecdotal reports and studies suggest a significant increase in the level of discontent—especially among primary care physicians (PCP) who serve at the frontlines of medicine and play a critical role in coordinating patient care. Tired of working longer and harder because of discounted insurance payments and frustrated by stagnating pay and increasing oversight, many physicians are signing on with large groups or hospitals, curtailing their practices, or, in some cases, abandoning primary care or retiring early.

The timing couldn’t be worse, Kaiser Health News reported earlier this week. A 2012 Urban Institute study of 500 primary-care physicians found that 30% of those age 35 to 49 planned to leave their practices within five years. The rate jumped to 52% for those over 50. One of the drivers of physician dissatisfaction is their sense they are shortchanging patients: that they are too rushed, don’t have enough time to listen, and aren’t always providing good care.

Source: Kaiser Health News