most numerous family physicians wou...

most numerous family physicians would agree that there has been a professional lethargy in our specialty from one side of to the other the past decade, compounded by means of a broken, inefficient national health care theory The issues behind this point to be solved [i]or[/i] settled are complex and intertwined: the decline of professional prestige and practice reimbursements, waning learner interest, an increase in physician frustration, toxic environments for family medicine in many academic health center quantification of our discipline's impact forward the health of our fatherland and more than 40 million uninsured patients. Medical close examiners increasingly are choosing other career specialties based forward perceived prestige, applied technology, and lifestyle issues.

To combat these riddles the Future of Family Medicine (FFM) exhibit was developed. Its mission is to devise a strategy to transform and make new the discipline of family medicine to suited the needs of patients in a changing health care environment. After extensive planning and considerable cost the FFM report (1) was published in March 2004 in the Annals of Family Medicine.

Family physicians are relying in succession the FFM project to identify strategic directions that resonate across the discipline. The delineate was designed to serve as a compass to point us in the right direction rather than an exact blueprint filled with details.

The FFM intend initially was designed around five task forces. Task Force single considered core attributes and values of family medicine and propos ideas for reforming family medicine to convenient the needs and expectations of patients. Task Force pair determined the training needs of family physicians to deliver these core attributes and hypothesis services. Task Force Three explored ways to render certain that family physicians deliver core attributes and theory services throughout their careers. Task Force Four determined strategies for communicating the part of family physicians to purchasers and consumer Task Force Five determined family medicine's leadership part in shaping the health care delivery system

The arranges distilled 41 implementation tactics into 10 major exhibit recommendations covering the following issues: (1) a of the present day model of family medicine, (2) electronic health records, (3) family medicine education, (4) lifelong learning for each family physician, (5) enhancing the science of family medicine, (6) quality of care, (7) the part of family medicine in academic health center (8) promoting a sufficient family medicine workforce, (9) a unified communications strategy, and (10) leadership and advocacy.

Early in the plan it became evident that, without significant changes in reimbursement and financing, the work of the five task forces would be in vain. Therefore, a sixth task force was created specifically to make compound recommendations for improving practice finances to make the modern model an economic reality. Its report (2) has been published as a add to to the November/December 2004 issue of the Annals of Family Medicine. The assemblage is composed of family physicians with practice management expertise and representatives from major payers and consumer including the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Families USA, AARP, BlueCros BlueShield Association, Aetna Inc., WellPoint Health Networks Inc., and Kaiser Permanente Inc.

Task Force Six created economic prototypes that demonstrate that implementation of the fresh model significantly increases family physicians' incomes, in the two the current fee-for-service environment and to come pay-for-quality reimbursements. The results should work for as a stimulus for widespread adoption of the recently made known model for practicing family physicians. each family physician should read the entire FFM report to realize completely the opportunities that lie before us.

Another major goal of Task Force Six is the unravelling of a national resource center to allow family physicians access to a centralized organization that can help them implement the recent model and its components.

The FFM report has been a featured topic at national and state chapter meetings. It has been received with cautious optimism according to many physicians and with a sensation of cynicism from others, who realize that without a revision of our health care scheme the potential of these recommendations will not be realized.

The FFM report put forwards a credible model to address many interrelated issues. Numerous studies have shown that a primary care-based health care plan provides cost savings and better clinical issues The FFM project focuses forward a medical home for all Americans--one that is best provided from primary care physicians. To date, no other specialty has addressed the way its issues tie in with an efficient health care prototype for America's patients.

We are generally in the communication phase of the FFM intend AAFP members are encouraged to read the report online at http://www.annfammed.org/cgi/content/full/2/suppl_1/s3. As a discipline, we cannot afford to sit passively upon the sidelines. We must actively advocate for our profession and patients and embrace the adage of the American "philosopher" Yogi Berra: "The what may occur hereafter ain't what it used to be."