January: The Importance of Primary Care and how it can be Expanded
With the start of a new year, we each have the potential to better ourselves in a variety of ways, with an end goal of leading happier, healthier, more enriching lives.
January: The Importance of Primary Care and how it can be Expanded
With the start of a new year, we each have the potential to better ourselves in a variety of ways, with an end goal of leading happier, healthier, more enriching lives. Of course, every individual’s hopes and plans for the coming year are dependent on their personal experiences; however, we all need a similar foundation of functional, monitored health in order to achieve our perhaps more “exciting” goals for the year. For this reason, as we write down our plans for the coming year, everyone should include “scheduling an appointment with a primary care physician,” to help set themselves up for success.
The Institute of Medicine (IOM) defines primary care as, “the provision of integrated, accessible health care services by clinicians who are accountable for addressing a large majority of personal health care needs, developing a sustained partnership with patients, and practicing in the context of family and community.” Essentially, primary care is an individual’s first line of care and defense from illness. For those who have a long term relation with their primary care provider, the physician can detect changes in one’s condition that can be indicative of chronic health issues, which can impact multiple parts of the body, quicker than if a person were to solely go to specialists. In fact, it has been determined that those who have a primary care provider have 19% lower odds of premature death than those who only see specialists (Primary Care Progress). Not only does seeing a primary care physician have direct benefits to one’s health but also to one’s finances; studies have shown that those who see a primary care provider save approximately 33% on healthcare costs. Additionally, a study completed in the emergency department of a North Carolina hospital determined that 60% of its patients' problems could have been prevented or addressed had they gone to a primary care provider (Primary Care Progress). While in the short-term it may appear that one is spending more by going to a primary care physician, in reality, the cost of an annual visit there will prevent a much larger cost to address various health issues that go undetected if not seen by a primary care provider.
Here at LIG Global, we recognize that seeking and obtaining primary care is oftentimes easier said than done for a variety of reasons. Whether it be due to lack of primary care providers in a region, language/cultural barriers, lack of health insurance, or the increasing shortage of primary care providers, there is still plenty of room for improvement to provide accessible and comprehensive primary care to people of all backgrounds across the globe (HealthyPeople). In conjunction with the CDC and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), the IOM recorded examples of integrative primary care and public health efforts that have been proven to be effective in providing equitable high quality primary care. For example, they describe how Duke University School of Medicine has designed a Primary Care Leadership Track for its students that focuses on engaging with the community that it will be serving in order to improve health outcomes via comprehensive and understanding care. This program ensures that the students are taught about the roots of health disparities in a way that will best prepare them to engage with patients of varying backgrounds. Additionally, the IOM mentions the Healthy San Francisco program initiated to help lower barriers, such as insurance and finances, in order to increase the number of people receiving primary care. Their system provides uninsured adults with affordable and comprehensive primary healthcare at public clinics, San Francisco General Hospital, and federally funded health centers. Additionally, this program links its patients to a primary care medical home to ensure that these individuals can continue to seek primary care as needed in the future. Notably, this program does an excellent job of integrating various networks in order to provide patient care, ranging from the federal level to local hospitals in order to promote primary care access.
At LIG Global, as we work on a global level, we see many of these similar issues related to lack of primary care both abroad and within our borders. Utilizing programs and initiatives similar to those aforementioned, we could hopefully see an increase in the quality of healthcare and health of the individuals we treat in the various regions that we work with, as we know the strong impact primary care can have on one’s health outcomes. With a strong foundation of primary care, it is certain that we can see improvements in health.
References:
Committee on Integrating Primary Care and Public Health; Board on Population Health and Public Health Practice; Institute of Medicine. Primary Care and Public Health: Exploring Integration to Improve Population Health. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2012 Mar 28. PMID: 24851288.
https://www.primarycareprogress.org/primary-care-case/
Fueling Your Flow: A Comprehensive Guide to Nutrition and Menstrual Health
03:00 AM Thu March 16, 2023
