October 5, 2001
Future of Family Medicine discussion draws supporters
BY TONI LAPP
The fact that AAFP members are impassioned about family practice was evident at the well-attended town hall meeting on the Future of Family Medicine project.
With the Future of Family Medicine project up for discussion, participants lined up at microphones to give their input and ask questions of Academy leaders Wednesday afternoon.About 200 FPs participated in the meeting Wednesday at the Georgia World Congress Center. Many waited patiently in line to air their views on the state of family practice. In fact, most stayed on well after the 90 minutes allotted for the meeting.
Top Academy leaders scheduled the meeting to rally support for the initiative, which launches in January.
Those leaders included President Richard Roberts, M.D., J.D., of Madison, Wis.; President-elect Warren Jones, M.D., of Ridgeland, Miss.; Board Chair Bruce Bagley, M.D., of Albany, N.Y.; and Executive Vice President Douglas Henley, M.D., who will chair the project.
Market research will be conducted to find out what patients want and need from their family physicians. It is hoped that the data will lead to improved quality of care in an environment that's less hassled, said Henley.
The Future of Family Medicine project, which sprang up in the wake of the Keystone III conference last fall, has the support of seven family practice organizations. The goal of the initiative is to look at current problems and anticipate the future, said Bagley.
Currently, "there is a sense of disquiet," Roberts said. "Overhead expenses are rising faster than revenues, and so much more is getting in the way of that interaction with the patients."
The participants confirmed that. One physician told of frustrations -- having to sell a practice and become an employee of a health care system. Another told of the hassle of reimbursement -- of receiving a check for one cent from an insurance company. Others told of the rewards of the doctor-patient relationship and the desire to preserve it.
The participants were not short on suggestions for improvements, such as lengthening residency programs, revamping CME and effectively marketing family practice so the public knows what FPs are qualified to do.
All these ideas will come under consideration, Academy leaders agreed. The project is expected to present its findings in August 2003. *
FP Report is published by the AAFP News Department.
Copyright © 2001 by American Academy of Family Physicians.
FP Report | October 5 Headlines |AAFP Home | Search
