Foreword

Harvey V. Fineberg; Herman I. Abrommowitz; Alfred W. T. Loh

doi:10.1370/afm.144

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A Modest Proposal for Family Doctors to Improve the Present Healthcare System in America
robert heck

Published on: 06 June 2004
A Word of Appreciation for the On Track Discussion So Far
Larry A. Green

Published on: 14 May 2004

Published on: (6 June 2004)
Page navigation anchor for A Modest Proposal for Family Doctors to Improve the Present Healthcare System in America
A Modest Proposal for Family Doctors to Improve the Present Healthcare System in America
robert heck, Oak Lawn, IL 60453
A. If you want respect, you have to earn it. Be available to your patients. Acquire the latest medical information. Practice quality medicine at a reasonable price. Reek Integrity.
B. Offer the USA a workable solution to the uninsured patient problem. Be prepared to make the most sacrifices of time and money. You have more expertise than anyone.
C. Unite at the national level to influence Cong...
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A. If you want respect, you have to earn it. Be available to your patients. Acquire the latest medical information. Practice quality medicine at a reasonable price. Reek Integrity.
B. Offer the USA a workable solution to the uninsured patient problem. Be prepared to make the most sacrifices of time and money. You have more expertise than anyone.
C. Unite at the national level to influence Congress and the State Legislators that you and your primary care allies - general internists and general pediatricians - can accept the responsiblity for the total health care of the patient most efficiently and economically by acting as General Conctractor and selecting the appropriate Subcontractors as needed. You are the most valuable member of the team. Don't sell yourselves short!
Competing interests: None declared
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Competing Interests: None declared.
Published on: (14 May 2004)
Page navigation anchor for A Word of Appreciation for the On Track Discussion So Far
A Word of Appreciation for the On Track Discussion So Far
Larry A. Green, Denver and Washington DC
Tracking the comments from those who took the time to read the FFM report and share their own thinking--has been fascinating, at times a bit depressing, but overall very, very reassuring to me. They have reminded me of one of the challenges posited in the FFM report, "managing the individuality of family physicians." I most want to post a sincere thank you to all for their time, thought and effort.
I find that I...
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Tracking the comments from those who took the time to read the FFM report and share their own thinking--has been fascinating, at times a bit depressing, but overall very, very reassuring to me. They have reminded me of one of the challenges posited in the FFM report, "managing the individuality of family physicians." I most want to post a sincere thank you to all for their time, thought and effort.
I find that I agree with many of the comments so far, particularly about some of the reports shortcomings. I disagree with the laments about a lack of participation by practicing family physicians, because of the strong impact practicing family physicians had on the report. Hopefully, regardless of where we practice and how we try to contribute, we family physicians can all work together to move forward.
The full text of task force reports, also on line at Annals, further develops or addresses some of the concerns brought forth, and those inclined to read them may check them out and possibly find some elaboration of points they wish had been addressed more fully.
The primary requirement of this report, in my view, is not to be a perfect report with just the right emphasis on this or that, but to incite action toward transformation of family medicine in mostly the right direction. The discussion here suggests both the need and will to take action, now, supporting the notion that some important changes may actually be possible, even ripe. This is good news, as the people of our country and most of their doctors seem to have just about had enough of low-performance, high-cost, impersonal, screwed-up care. (I know, there are fortunately exceptions where everything seems to be going pretty well, still, for the moment.)
It should come as no surprise to patients and doctors that core commitments of medicine and family physicians would change little over 40 years. Nor should anyone be surprised that how we practice medicine, including family medicine, and receive care throughout medicine, and family medicine in particular, would need to change from the approaches available in the 1960's and prior to the stunning impact of information technology and the availability of a much larger and better trained primary care workforce. This is not to imply that much adaptation has not been occurring all along, but from time to time, a sufficient amount of development and mischief occurs that requires some redesign, not just tweeking the old one. This is the next time.
Larry A. Green
Competing interests: Participant in the Future of Family Medicine Process
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Competing Interests: None declared.