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NewsDepartmentsF

STFM LAUNCHES INITIATIVE TO POSITION ACADEMIC FAMILY MEDICINE IN HEALTH SYSTEMS

Mary Theobald
The Annals of Family Medicine September 2020, 18 (5) 470-471; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1370/afm.2595
Mary Theobald
Chief of Strategy and Innovation, Society of Teachers of Family Medicine
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Family physicians have been at the center of the response to COVID-19,1–2 and the pandemic has underscored what was already an urgent need for more family physicians. The Association of American Medical Colleges estimates a primary care physician shortage of up to 55,200 by 2033.3

Over the past few decades, most family physicians have transitioned from private practice to employed practices.4 Throughout this transition—for a number of reasons—there has been a general reduction in scope of practice, in spite of evidence that primary care is “associated with better health outcomes, lower costs, and greater health equity.”5

To address the changing employment landscape for academic family physicians, faculty, and learners, the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine has launched a new initiative to:

  • preserve comprehensive practice for family physicians and family medicine faculty who wish to practice broad scope

  • ensure that family medicine faculty—including community preceptors in non-academic settings—have sufficient time and institutional resources to teach and meet academic and accreditation requirements

  • improve faculty and learner well-being

  • transform family medicine training sites into clinical and teaching models of excellence

The initiative will be chaired by Christine Arenson, MD. “This is a critical time for family medicine,” said Dr Arenson. “We have the evidence we need that team-based family medicine, with physicians operating with a broad scope of practice, is critical to improve health and health equity while reducing the total cost of health care for our nation. And yet we also know that traditionally structured health care systems are not designed or prepared to meet this mission.”

As the chair of the initiative, Dr Arenson will work with STFM staff to convene workgroups to develop and deliver training, build connections with health systems leaders, and advocate for family medicine.

Specifically, the initiative will:

Train Family Medicine Educators and Learners on the Business of Medicine

Because most family physicians are employed by health care systems, it is important that physician training leads to an understanding of the business of medicine and how system leaders make decisions. This knowledge is fundamental to business-based solutions that incorporate the needs of medical education, family medicine, and health systems.

Make the Business Case for Investment in Primary Care/Family Medicine

There aren’t enough family physicians to meet the nation’s health care needs,3 and there is a shortage of family medicine faculty.6 Faculty are struggling with workload/administrative burden/competing priorities.7 Communications to health care system leaders will advocate for equitable resource allocation and solutions that meet the needs of family physicians and family medicine training programs.

Preserve Comprehensive Practice for Family Physicians and Family Medicine Faculty Who Wish to Practice Broad Scope

There have been concerns for decades that family medicine’s scope of practice is decreasing. There is a substantial gap “between the training and preparation family medicine residents receive and the services they deliver in practice.”8 This initiative will promote the connection between comprehensive practice and reduced burnout and define a training pathway for those who want to re-enter the family medicine workforce or who have been practicing under a limited scope

This Health Systems Initiative addresses multiple strategies and tactics in the new STFM Strategic Plan and builds on STFM’s work on the Preceptor Expansion Initiative and Protected Faculty Time Guidelines, and aligns with the collaborative efforts of the family medicine organizations to engage with health systems leaders to preserve comprehensive training and practice for family physicians, improve health outcomes, and identify and spread best practices for optimizing the role of family medicine.

  • © 2020 Annals of Family Medicine, Inc.

References

  1. ↵
    1. Sandowski SA
    . Family medicine’s role in the COVID 19 pandemic. Ann Fam Med. [Preprint COVID-19 Collection]. https://hdl.handle.net/2027.42/155572. Published Jun 10, 2020. Accessed Jul 21, 2020.
  2. ↵
    1. Dakkak M
    . Practicing full-spectrum family medicine during the COVID-19 pandemic. [Preprint COVID-19 Collection]. https://hdl.handle.net/2027.42/154714. Apr 8, 2020. Accessed Jul 21, 2020.
  3. ↵
    1. Association of American Medical Colleges
    . The complexities of physician supply and demand: projections from 2018 to 2033. https://www.aamc.org/system/files/2020-06/stratcomm-aamc-physician-workforce-projections-june-2020.pdf. Published Jun 2020. Accessed Jul 21, 2020.
  4. ↵
    1. White B,
    2. Twiddy D
    . The state of family medicine. Fam Pract Manag. 2017; 24(1): 26–33.
    OpenUrl
  5. ↵
    1. Baxley E,
    2. Bazemore A,
    3. Phillips R
    . Family medicine and comprehensiveness of care: what are the risks of declines in scope of practice? Ohio Family Physician. Spring 2020.
  6. ↵
    STFM launches initiative in response to faculty shortage. Ann Fam Med. 2015; 13(3): 290–291. doi:10.1370/afm.1800
    OpenUrlFREE Full Text
  7. ↵
    1. Theobald M
    . 2018 STFM Member survey report. https://www.stfm.org/news/2018news/10_12_18membershipsurvey/. Published Aug 22, 2018.
  8. ↵
    1. Peterson LE,
    2. Fang B,
    3. Puffer JC,
    4. Bazemore AW
    . Wide gap between preparation and scope of practice of early career family physicians. Journal Am Board Fam Med. 2018;31(2):81–182.
    OpenUrl
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The Annals of Family Medicine: 18 (5)
The Annals of Family Medicine: 18 (5)
Vol. 18, Issue 5
September/October 2020
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STFM LAUNCHES INITIATIVE TO POSITION ACADEMIC FAMILY MEDICINE IN HEALTH SYSTEMS
Mary Theobald
The Annals of Family Medicine Sep 2020, 18 (5) 470-471; DOI: 10.1370/afm.2595

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STFM LAUNCHES INITIATIVE TO POSITION ACADEMIC FAMILY MEDICINE IN HEALTH SYSTEMS
Mary Theobald
The Annals of Family Medicine Sep 2020, 18 (5) 470-471; DOI: 10.1370/afm.2595
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