City hearing addresses health care disparities
The low retention rate of doctors, the lack of emphasis on training primary care physicians at teaching institutions and the low payment by insurance companies in Maryland have all contributed to the lacking primary care system in Baltimore, according to Zebley.
Monti explained that the shortage of primary care physicians in Baltimore has costly consequences.
"When a person can't see a doctor, what might have been a mild case of bronchitis becomes pneumonia," Monti said. "Patients get more severe and then end up in the hospital which is much more expensive than outpatient treatment."
According to Monti, one thing that the state is considering is shifting funds to doctors who choose to stay in primary care.
"Currently the state offers about half a million dollars of loan forgiveness to doctors to pay off medical school loans," Monti said. "But that amount of money is only enough to help about eight doctors. The state needs to invest more money to keep doctors in primary care."
Other policy changes discussed at the hearing included changes in reimbursement formulas by insurance companies and the need for electronic medical records (EMRs).
Weiner explained that the implementation of EMRs would strengthen communication between doctors and coordinate care better.
"The advantage of a primary care doctor is that he or she serves as a gatekeeper," Weiner said. "They serve as the coordinator among all of a patient's doctors. But without a primary care physician, such communication is lacking."
According to Weiner, only about five percent of doctors currently use EMRs frequently.
"One day, we will be interoperable, meaning that your doctor can look at the records from all your other doctors," Weiner said.
Although EMR implementation would not solve the primary health care shortage, it would improve the function of the health system without general physicians.
Monti explained that the record from the hearing will remain open to contributions from the public into May. The information will then be taken to the legislature to help them formulate policies regarding the primary care shortage by early summer.
Monti explained that the shortage of primary care physicians in Baltimore has costly consequences.
"When a person can't see a doctor, what might have been a mild case of bronchitis becomes pneumonia," Monti said. "Patients get more severe and then end up in the hospital which is much more expensive than outpatient treatment."
According to Monti, one thing that the state is considering is shifting funds to doctors who choose to stay in primary care.
"Currently the state offers about half a million dollars of loan forgiveness to doctors to pay off medical school loans," Monti said. "But that amount of money is only enough to help about eight doctors. The state needs to invest more money to keep doctors in primary care."
Other policy changes discussed at the hearing included changes in reimbursement formulas by insurance companies and the need for electronic medical records (EMRs).
Weiner explained that the implementation of EMRs would strengthen communication between doctors and coordinate care better.
"The advantage of a primary care doctor is that he or she serves as a gatekeeper," Weiner said. "They serve as the coordinator among all of a patient's doctors. But without a primary care physician, such communication is lacking."
According to Weiner, only about five percent of doctors currently use EMRs frequently.
"One day, we will be interoperable, meaning that your doctor can look at the records from all your other doctors," Weiner said.
Although EMR implementation would not solve the primary health care shortage, it would improve the function of the health system without general physicians.
Monti explained that the record from the hearing will remain open to contributions from the public into May. The information will then be taken to the legislature to help them formulate policies regarding the primary care shortage by early summer.
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Baltimore Movers
posted 7/17/09 @ 2:26 PM EST
It's really unfortunate that there is a shortage of primary care doctors. A shortage of 150,000 visits per year is a very significant problem.
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