Over 90 percent of services of primary care physicians are provided is in an outpatient clinic or other nonhospital community-based entity. Yet dollars to fund primary care training continue to flow through hospitals. Hospitals are conflicted by desire to keep residents (and dollars) in hospitals versus deploying into community-based offices for optimal training.
Educational entities are being established with the purpose of innovating to meet community needs for increased quality and quantity of primary care physicians. At least four unique models have been identified across the country. But the GME funding flow being tied to hospitals has prevented these models from being adequately tested. Testing these models is the only reasonable way to collect data that can inform future GME policy decisions.
A pilot is needed to test these innovative, market-based models that are trying to respond to community need.
