The Place of the General Internist in Primary Care

Editorials1 August 1979The Place of the General Internist in Primary CareMALCOLM L. PETERSON, M.D., PH.D., F.A.C.P.MALCOLM L. PETERSON, M.D., PH.D., F.A.C.P.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-91-2-305 SectionsAboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail ExcerptBy defining primary care in its recommendations on manpower for primary health care (1), the Institute of Medicine helped to raise the debates about primary care out of the semantic quagmire into which many of the adversaries were sinking. That definition ascribed to primary care four unique attributes: it is accessible, comprehensive, coordinated, and continuous. The definition seems to have general acceptance, and now the debate can shift away from the argument over what primary care is. Individuals and communities can be asked, "Are you getting primary care?" Practitioners can be asked, "Are you giving primary care?" Also, insurers can...References1. . A manpower policy for primary health care. IOM Publication 78-02. Washington DC: National Academy of Science, 1978. Google Scholar2. ADAY L and ANDERSEN R. Insurance coverage and access: implications for health policy. Health Serv Res. 1978;13:369-77. MedlineGoogle Scholar3. . Special report number one. Princeton, New Jersey; 1978. Google Scholar4. AIKEN L, LEWIS C, CRAIG J, MENDENHALL R, BENDON R, and ROGERS D. The contribution of specialists to the delivery of primary care: a new perspective. N Engl J Med. 1979;300:1363-70. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar5. MENDENHALL R, TARLOV A, GIRARD R, MICHEL J, and RADECKI S. A national study of internal medicine and its specialties: II. Primary care in internal medicine. Ann Intern Med. 1979;91:275-87. LinkGoogle Scholar6. PERRIN E, HARKINS E, and MARINI M. Evaluation of the reliability and validity of data collected in the USC medical activities and manpower projects. Seattle, Washington: Battelle Human Affairs Research Centers; 1978. Google Scholar7. GIRARD R, MENDENHALL R, TARLOV A, RADECKI S, and ABRAHAMSON S. A national study of internal medicine and its specialties: I. An overview of the practice of internal medicine. Ann Intern Med. 1979;90:965-75. LinkGoogle Scholar8. FLETCHER S, FLETCHER R, and PAPPIUS E. A teaching hospital medical clinic: secondary rather than primary care. J Med Educ. 1979;54:384-91. MedlineGoogle Scholar9. STARFIELD B. Measuring the attainment of primary care. J Med Educ. 1979;54:361-9. MedlineGoogle Scholar This content is PDF only. To continue reading please click on the PDF icon. Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAuthors: MALCOLM L. PETERSON, M.D., PH.D., F.A.C.P. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics Cited byCareer development among residents completing primary care and traditional residencies in medicine at the Boston City Hospital, 1974–1983Waiting for the doctor glut, or is the cavalry really coming?Preventive content of adult primary care: do generalists and subspecialists differ?General Internal Medicine Units in Academic Medical Centers: Their Emergence and FunctionsROBERT H. FRIEDMAN, M.D., JANET T. POZEN, Ph.D., A. LYNN ROSENCRANS, A.B., JOHN M. EISENBERG, M.D., PAUL M. GERTMAN, M.D.Changing Trends in the Supply of Primary CareDAVID BLUMENTHAL, M.D., M.P.P., DAVID A. HAMBURG, M.D. 1 August 1979Volume 91, Issue 2Page: 305-306KeywordsPrimary care ePublished: 1 December 2008 Issue Published: 1 August 1979 PDF downloadLoading ...