The Physicians’ Perspective: Medical Practice (2008)

Survey Finds Numerous Problems Facing Primary Care Doctors, Predicts Escalating Shortage Ahead.

Executive Summary: Results of a national survey released in 2008 by The Physicians Foundation illustrated widespread frustration among primary care physicians nationwide over the state of their medical practices – and underscored their concerns regarding an escalating shortage of primary care physicians.  This physician survey examined the causes behind the doctors’ dissatisfaction, how the state of their practices is shifting and implications for the future of care.  The resulting findings underscored the possibility of significantly decreased access to care for Americans in the years ahead, as many doctors feel compelled to reduce the number of patients they see or to quit the practice of medicine outright.