PRIMARY CARE AND ITS IMPACT ON POPULATION HEALTH

There has been a consistent decline in the number of physicians pursuing the field of primary care. Because a wide variety of research highlights the importance of early intervention for health outcomes, a Capstone team investigated the relationship between primary care physicians (PCPs) and their effect on population health. The team conducted a comprehensive literature review analyzing the root causes of the declining number of PCPs, considering the involvement of social determinants of health, and examining anecdotal case studies. Based on its findings, the team assessed the degree to which over-utilization of specialists and emergency rooms interrelates with poorer patient health outcomes. The team’s recommendations included expanding access to telehealth, incentivizing PCPs to form quality relationships with patients, and implementing measures that allow various health institutions to track population health outcomes.