Many Americans See Specialists For Primary Care

Two in five adults in the U.S. are getting general health care from specialist doctors, according to a new study showing that figure held steady for nearly a decade.  Researchers found that in 1999 and 2007, approximately 59% of visits in the U.S. for primary care were to family physicians. The other 41% were to specialists, such as internists and obstetricians-gynecologists.

There is evidence that in health care systems where primary care doctors are the first point of contact, patients see better outcomes, according to the study's lead author.  A study from 2011, for example, found that seniors living in areas with more primary care doctors were less likely to be hospitalized with a preventable disease and had lower death rates.

On top of quality concerns, another issue is cost. A 2010 study found that primary care doctors earn about $60 per hour, which is much less than the $92 per hour and $85 per hour rates for surgeons and ob-gyns, respectively.

The researchers write in the Archives of Internal Medicine that there can be a few reasons people turn to specialists over family doctors for primary care. One may be a belief that specialists are better at treating specific conditions. Another reason may be that a shortage of family doctors in the U.S. drives people to specialists.

The 2010 health care reform legislation, the Affordable Care Act, contains provisions directed at alleviating that shortage, including incentives for doctors to choose to specialize in primary care.