The queing issue now ignores the walk in clinic business

Reader comment on: Turner on RomneyCare

Submitted by Lyle (United States), May 13, 2011 16:55

As you say if it is for a routine checkup 48 days is not a lot. If its an urgency there are now plenty of walk in clinics to take care of non-emergency situations at the local drug store or Wal-Mart or perhaps stand alone as well. Of course if it's truly an emergency that is what the emergency room is for.

A large part of the shortage is that we have upskilled the primary care physician moving from a 1 year post medical school model 50 years ago to a 5 year training period. The concept of the nurse practicioner is moving the training back to where it was 50 years ago, and adding that if things don't fit the expected pattern a referral to a physician. Actually most routine checkups could also be done there, once we get effective treatment guidelines and they include things that need to be referred up the chain. My suspicion is that the medical home concept will end up with the nurse practitioner or physician's assistant as the primary contact not the physician.

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