Family physician perspectives on primary care reform priorities: a cross-sectional survey.

BACKGROUND: The province of British Columbia is facing a family physician shortage despite consistent increases in the number of physicians per capita and ongoing reforms to address the shortage. We identify physicians' priorities for structural reform, describe the alignment of those priorities with BC's suite of reforms and compare responses between established physicians and those new to practice; we also assessed rates of burnout. METHODS: All family physicians credentialed within Vancouver Coastal Health in 2018 were invited to participate in a cross-sectional survey. Respondents were asked about their practice model and characteristics, demographics, level of burnout and reform priorities. We used χ2 tests and multivariable logistic regression to investigate associations between personal and practice characteristics, burnout and reform priorities. RESULTS: Of the 1017 family physicians invited to participate, 525 (51.6%) responded. Of these, 399 (76.0%) indicated a need for fundamental change to how primary care is delivered; 244 (46.4%) would prefer to be a clinic employee rather than a small business owner. Other reform priorities included options to practise in a team (stated as very important by 69.6% of respondents), direct funding for team roles (66.7%), direct clinic funding (59.8%), part-time work options (64.7%), and ability to take planned vacations and parental leave (81.1%). The importance of individual reform priorities varied based on the participants' model of practice, location and years in practice. Of respondents, 108 (21.1%) had experienced a high level of burnout. INTERPRETATION: Almost half of family physicians would prefer to be employees rather than small business owners and over 20% reported a high level of burnout. Practice models offering direct employment model have very limited availability and are not included in the current suite of reforms in BC, potentially pulling physicians away from community-based family medicine and into other models or specialties.

Maternity Units in Rural Hospitals in North Carolina: Successful Models for Staffing and Structure.

OBJECTIVES: Almost 15% of all US births occur in rural hospitals, yet rural hospitals are closing at an alarming rate because of shortages of delivering clinicians, nurses, and anesthesia support. We describe maternity staffing patterns in successful rural hospitals across North Carolina. METHODS: All of the hospitals in the state with ≤200 beds and active maternity units were surveyed. Hospitals were categorized into three sizes: critical access hospitals (CAHs) had ≤25 acute staffed hospital beds, small rural hospitals had ≤100 beds without being defined as CAHs, and intermediate rural hospitals had 101 to 200 beds. Qualitative data were collected at a selection of study hospitals during site visits. Eighteen hospitals were surveyed. Site visits were completed at 8 of the surveyed hospitals. RESULTS: Nurses in CAHs were more likely to float to other units when Labor and Delivery did not have patients and nursing management was more likely to assist on Labor and Delivery when patient census was high. Anesthesia staffing patterns varied but certified nurse anesthetists were highly used. CAHs were almost twice as likely to accept patients choosing a trial of labor after cesarean section (CS) than larger hospitals, but CS rates were similar across all hospital types. Hospitals with only obstetricians as delivering providers had the highest CS rate (32%). The types of hospitals with the lowest CS rates were the hospitals with only family physicians (24%) or high proportions of certified nurse midwives (22%). CONCLUSIONS: Innovative staffing models, including family physicians, nurse midwives, and nurse anesthetists, are critical for the survival of rural hospitals that provide vital maternity services in underserved areas.

Beyond the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Urgent Need to Expand Primary Care and Family Medicine.

The COVID-19 pandemic, together with its resultant economic downturn, has unmasked serious problems of access, costs, quality of care, inequities, and disparities of US health care. It has exposed a serious primary care shortage, the unreliability of employer-sponsored health insurance, systemic racism, and other dysfunctions of a system turned on its head without a primary care base. Fundamental reform is urgently needed to bring affordable health care that is accessible to all Americans. Over the last 40-plus years, our supposed system has been taken over by corporate stakeholders with the presumption that a competitive unfettered marketplace will achieve the needed goal of affordable, accessible care. That theory has been thoroughly disproven by experience as the ranks of more than 30 million uninsured and 87 million underinsured demonstrates. Three main reform alternatives before us are: (1) to build on the Affordable Care Act; (2) to implement some kind of a public option; and (3) to enact single-payer Medicare for All. It is only the third option that can make affordable, comprehensive health care accessible for our entire population. As the debate goes forward over these alternatives during this election season, the likelihood of major change through a new system of national health insurance is becoming increasingly realistic. Rebuilding primary care and public health is a high priority as we face a new normal in US health care that places the public interest above that of corporate stakeholders and Wall Street investors. Primary care, and especially family medicine, should become the foundation of a reformed health care system.

National Primary Care Policy 2017: analysis of teams composition and national coverage of Family Health. / Política Nacional de Atenção Básica de 2017: análise da composição das equipes e cobertura nacional da Saúde da Família.

The Family Health Strategy is the main form of organization of the Brazilian health system. However, the third edition of the National Primary Health Care Policy (PNAB) recognized other types of teams financially. A time series study was conducted from 2007 to 2019 using data from the National Register of Health Facilities (CNES) of jobs, teams and national coverage of Family Health to analyze the effects of the 2017 National Primary Health Care Policy (PNAB) on team composition. We observed the concentration of doctors in the Southeast and Northeast and variation of this professional category before the events of the "Mais Médicos" (More Doctors) Program. The number of nurses increased 5% and Community Health Workers (ACS) dropped 0.3% in the country. Despite the authorization and funding for the implementation of "Primary Care" teams (eAB), they correspond to less than 1% of the total teams. It is noteworthy that the municipal managers' preferred mode is the traditional Family Health Teams, equivalent to 75% of the total and growing. While the questionings and expectations generated by the 2017 PNAB in the context of Primary Health Care, we can conclude that, regarding the teams and their compositions, no significant change was identified two years into its coming into force.

A Estratégia Saúde da Família é a principal forma de organização do sistema de saúde brasileiro. Contudo, a terceira edição da Política Nacional de Atenção Básica (PNAB) passou a reconhecer financeiramente outros tipos de equipes. Para analisar os efeitos da PNAB de 2017 na composição das equipes, foi realizado um estudo de série temporal de 2007 a 2019 utilizando dados do Cadastro Nacional de Estabelecimentos de Saúde (CNES) de postos de trabalho e de equipes e a cobertura nacional da Saúde da Família. Observou-se a concentração de médicos nas regiões Sudeste e Nordeste e oscilação dessa categoria profissional ante os acontecimentos do Programa Mais Médicos. Houve acréscimo de 5% de enfermeiros e redução de 0,3% dos ACS no país. A despeito da autorização e financiamento para implantação de equipes de "Atenção Básica" (eAB), elas correspondem a menos de 1% do total de equipes. Vale ressaltar que a modalidade preferencial dos gestores municipais se mantem pela Equipes de Saúde da Família, correspondendo a 75% do total de equipes e em crescimento. Apesar dos questionamentos e expectativas gerados pela PNAB de 2017 no contexto da Atenção Primária à Saúde, conclui-se que, em relação às equipes e suas composições, não houve mudança significativa após dois anos de sua vigência.

Increasing the Rural Workforce of Family Medicine Physicians: A Community-Focused Approach.

There is an increased need for Family Medicine physicians who make up approximately 40% of the primary care work. In this article the authors share perspective on how to engage the community in increasing the rural workforce of Family Physicians. Suggestions include introducing the school to the community in which it lives, matching the applicant to the needs of the community and not just the needs of the school, including community members as part of the admissions process and recruiting applicants primarily from inside the state.

Política Nacional de Atenção Básica de 2017: análise da composição das equipes e cobertura nacional da Saúde da Família / National Primary Care Policy 2017: analysis of teams composition and national coverage of Family Health

Resumo A Estratégia Saúde da Família é a principal forma de organização do sistema de saúde brasileiro. Contudo, a terceira edição da Política Nacional de Atenção Básica (PNAB) passou a reconhecer financeiramente outros tipos de equipes. Para analisar os efeitos da PNAB de 2017 na composição das equipes, foi realizado um estudo de série temporal de 2007 a 2019 utilizando dados do Cadastro Nacional de Estabelecimentos de Saúde (CNES) de postos de trabalho e de equipes e a cobertura nacional da Saúde da Família. Observou-se a concentração de médicos nas regiões Sudeste e Nordeste e oscilação dessa categoria profissional ante os acontecimentos do Programa Mais Médicos. Houve acréscimo de 5% de enfermeiros e redução de 0,3% dos ACS no país. A despeito da autorização e financiamento para implantação de equipes de "Atenção Básica" (eAB), elas correspondem a menos de 1% do total de equipes. Vale ressaltar que a modalidade preferencial dos gestores municipais se mantem pela Equipes de Saúde da Família, correspondendo a 75% do total de equipes e em crescimento. Apesar dos questionamentos e expectativas gerados pela PNAB de 2017 no contexto da Atenção Primária à Saúde, conclui-se que, em relação às equipes e suas composições, não houve mudança significativa após dois anos de sua vigência.

Abstract The Family Health Strategy is the main form of organization of the Brazilian health system. However, the third edition of the National Primary Health Care Policy (PNAB) recognized other types of teams financially. A time series study was conducted from 2007 to 2019 using data from the National Register of Health Facilities (CNES) of jobs, teams and national coverage of Family Health to analyze the effects of the 2017 National Primary Health Care Policy (PNAB) on team composition. We observed the concentration of doctors in the Southeast and Northeast and variation of this professional category before the events of the "Mais Médicos" (More Doctors) Program. The number of nurses increased 5% and Community Health Workers (ACS) dropped 0.3% in the country. Despite the authorization and funding for the implementation of "Primary Care" teams (eAB), they correspond to less than 1% of the total teams. It is noteworthy that the municipal managers' preferred mode is the traditional Family Health Teams, equivalent to 75% of the total and growing. While the questionings and expectations generated by the 2017 PNAB in the context of Primary Health Care, we can conclude that, regarding the teams and their compositions, no significant change was identified two years into its coming into force.

Nurturing the Student, Sustaining the Mission: 20 Years of the International/Inner-City/Rural Preceptorship Program.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Specialized medical school educational tracks aim to increase the primary care workforce. The International/Inner-City/Rural Preceptorship (I2CRP) Program is unique in addressing multiple communities, a large cohort and applying the Self Determination Theory framework. This study examined program impact by analyzing the numbers of graduates matched into primary care and practicing in medically underserved communities. METHODS: We compared the match list of I2CRP graduates between 2000 and 2017 (n=204) to non-I2CRP Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine (VCU SOM) graduates (n=3,037). We analyzed the matches into primary care, National Health Service Corps (NHSC) priority specialties, and NHSC priority plus general surgery. We searched a federal database to determine which graduates are practicing in workforce shortage areas. RESULTS: Many more I2CRP graduates matched to primary care (71.1%), compared to non-I2CRP graduates (38.2%; P<.001). Within primary care, I2CRP graduates matched to family medicine more frequently than non-I2CRP graduates (36.3% vs 8.4%). Eighteen percent of posttraining I2CRP graduates work in rural areas and 41% work in medically underserved areas. CONCLUSIONS: I2CRP graduates are more likely to match to family medicine and primary care. I2CRP curriculum nurtures new medical students' interest in primary care, and self-determination theory provides a framework to organize the program curriculum. The program's impact endures as evidenced by participants' continued work in underserved areas after residency. Increasing support for such programs may help address the primary care physician shortage in medically underserved areas.

Facilitators and barriers to implement the family doctor contracting services in China: findings from a qualitative study.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the facilitators and barriers to implement family doctor contracting services in China by using Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) to shed new light on establishing family doctor systems in developing countries. DESIGN: A qualitative study conducted from June to August 2017 using semistructured interview guides for focus group discussions (FGDs) and individual interviews. CFIR was used to guide data coding, data analysis and reporting of findings. SETTING: 19 primary health institutions in nine provinces purposively selected from the eastern, middle and western areas of China. PARTICIPANTS: From the nine sampled provinces in China, 62 policy makers from health related departments at the province, city and county/district levels participated in 9 FGDs; 19 leaders of primary health institutions participated in individual interviews; and 48 family doctor team members participated in 15 FGDs. RESULTS: Based on CFIR constructs, notable facilitators included national reform involving both top-down and bottom-up policy making (Intervention); support from essential public health funds, fiscal subsidies and health insurance (Outer setting); extra performance-based payments for family doctor teams based on evaluation (Inner setting); and positive engagement of health administrators (Process). Notable barriers included a lack of essential matching mechanisms at national level (Intervention); distrust in the quality of primary care, a lack of government subsidies and health insurance reimbursement and performance ceiling policy (Outer setting); the low competency of family doctors and weak influence of evaluations on performance-based salary (Inner setting); and misunderstandings about family doctor contracting services (Process). CONCLUSIONS: The national design with essential features including financing, incentive mechanisms and multidepartment cooperation, was vital for implementing family doctor contracting services in China. More attention should be paid to the quality of primary care and competency of family doctors. All stakeholders must be informed, be involved and participate before and during the process.

Geographical distribution of family physicians in Japan: a nationwide cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Geographical maldistribution of physicians, and their subsequent shortage in rural areas, has been a serious problem in Japan and in other countries. Family Medicine, a new board-certified specialty started 10 years ago in Japan by Japan Primary Care Association (JPCA), may be a solution to this problem. METHODS: We obtained the workplace information of 527 (78.4%) of the 672 JPCA-certified family physicians from an online database. From the national census data, we also obtained the workplace information of board-certified general internists, surgeons, obstetricians/gynaecologists and paediatricians and of all physicians as the same-generation comparison group (ages 30 to 49). Chi-squared test and residual analysis were conducted to compare the distribution between family physicians and other specialists. RESULTS: Five hundred nineteen JPCA-certified family physicians and 137,587 same-generation physicians were analysed. The distribution of family physicians was skewed to municipalities with a lower population density, which shows a sharp contrast to the urban-biased distribution of other specialists. The proportion of family physicians in non-metropolitan municipalities was significantly higher than that expected based on the distribution of all same-generation physicians (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Family physicians distributed in favour of rural areas much more than any other specialists in Japan. The better balance of family physician distribution reported from countries with a strong primary care orientation seems to hold even in a country where primary care orientation is weak, physician distribution is not regulated, and patients have free access to healthcare. Family physicians comprise only 0.2% of all Japanese physicians. However, if their population grows, they can potentially rectify the imbalance of physician distribution. Government support is mandatory to promote family medicine in Japan.

Demand and level of service inflation in Floating Catchment Area (FCA) methods.

Floating Catchment Area (FCA) methods are a popular tool to investigate accessibility to public facilities, in particular health care services. FCA approaches are attractive because, unlike other accessibility measures, they take into account the potential for congestion of facilities. This is done by 1) considering the population within the catchment area of a facility to calculate a variable that measures level of service, and then 2) aggregating the level of service by population centers subject to catchment area constraints. In this paper we discuss an effect of FCA approaches, an artifact that we term demand and level of service inflation. These artifacts are present in previous implementations of FCA methods. We argue that inflation makes interpretation of estimates of accessibility difficult, which has possible deleterious consequences for decision making. Next, we propose a simple and intuitive approach to proportionally allocate demandand and level of service in FCA calculations. The approach is based on a standardization of the impedance matrix, similar to approaches popular in the spatial statistics and econometrics literature. The result is a more intiuitive measure of accessibility that 1) provides a local version of the provider-to-population ratio; and 2) preserves the level of demand and the level of supply in a system. We illustrate the relevant issues with some examples, and then empirically by means of a case study of accessibility to family physicians in the Hamilton Census Metropolitan Area (CMA), in Ontario, Canada. Results indicate that demand and supply inflation/deflation affect the interpretation of accessibility analysis using existing FCA methods, and that the proposed adjustment can lead to more intuitive results.

The Family Medicine Attitudes Questionnaire: A Valid Instrument to Assess Student Attitudes Toward Family Medicine.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Medical student attitudes toward family medicine influence student likelihood of choosing family medicine and the US primary care physician workforce. We sought to refine and assess the validity of the Family Medicine Attitudes Questionnaire, an instrument that assesses student attitudes toward family medicine in US medical students. METHODS: A 24-item questionnaire, including items assessing students' attitudes toward family medicine's importance, family physician shortage, family medicine research, family systems, family physicians' expertise, and lifestyle, was offered to fourth-year students at 16 US medical schools. We evaluated the questionnaire's content validity, construct validity, and criterion validity. Content validity was assessed using a qualitative approach to direct observation, construct validity by data reduction and iterative factor analyses, and criterion validity by correlating items with intention to match into family medicine. RESULTS: The questionnaire was completed by 1,188 (44.9%) of 2,644 students invited to complete it; 10 items were removed in the validation process. The final 14-item instrument had a Cronbach α of 0.767. Total score correlated with family medicine specialty choice (P<.001). A questionnaire score of 56 or higher is 78.1% sensitive and 65.3% specific for identifying students who intend to match into family medicine. In regression analysis, questionnaire score was an independent predictor of choosing family medicine (odds ratio 1.289, confidence interval 1.223-1.347). CONCLUSIONS: The Family Medicine Attitudes Questionnaire is a valid instrument for assessing US medical student attitudes toward family medicine. This tool will help educators assess the impact of curricular and policy interventions designed to promote family medicine specialty choice.