An Institute of Medicine panel's vision for overhauling Medicare-funded medical training questions two beliefs that are widely held in healthcare: that a severe physician shortage is imminent and the only way to avoid it is an infusion of federal money for more residency positions. The report (found here), written by a 21-member committee co-chaired by former CMS administrators Dr. Donald Berwick and Gail Wilensky, says shortages are created by poor geographic distribution of physicians and lopsided ratios of primary care and specialty physicians and that recent research suggests the answers lie in new technology and innovations in healthcare delivery.
Read more about the report and reaction from physician groups in or Modern Healthcare.
