Surveys show more family physicians practicing direct primary care — and enjoying it

A pair of recent surveys show a surge in the number of family physicians practicing direct primary care (DPC) — and high levels of career satisfaction for those using the payment model.

The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) polled a random sample of 20,000 active members for its 2023 Practice Profile survey. Of the 558 who completed the survey, 9% said they were operating a DPC practice, which was a significant jump from 2021 (5%) and 2022 (3%). An additional 2% of those who responded to the 2023 survey said they were in the process of transitioning to a DPC practice.

A separate AAFP survey targeted members who had shown interest in DPC. Of the 374 who responded, 177 were already practicing in a DPC model. Almost all of the respondents who were already in a DPC model reported satisfaction with their practice (94%), while about half of those who weren’t in a DPC model reported satisfaction (57%). Burnout was also far less frequently reported by those practicing DPC (12%) than those not practicing DPC (46%).

Among those who responded, the most common concerns about opening a DPC practice were capital/cash flow (54%) and patient/member recruitment (50%).

For more on how to start a DPC practice, see the FPM article “Transitioning to Direct Primary Care.”

AAFP resources:

• DPC Summit
• DPC Summit On Demand (online CME)

Posted on April 26, 2024 by FPM Editors