Primary care burnout affects 13.5% to 60% of primary care physicians, and the most common predictor is the practice environment. And 1 in 3 primary care clinicians told the Primary Care Collaborative (PDF) they expect to leave primary care within five years. This mass exodus only adds to our country’s crisis-level shortage of primary care.
There is no single solution to this primary care shortage. Its complex drivers both shrink the entry pipeline and increase the terminal exodus. Tackling the problem will require approaches that permeate the roots, addressing the origins of an inhospitable practice environment and barriers to entry.
In a new op-ed for Fierce Healthcare, PCC President and CEO Ann Greiner and Elation Health’s Director of Primary Care Advancement Sara Pastoor provide concrete solutions that policymakers and industry leaders can take to address the workforce crisis.