What is needed most?

With additional funding, primary care can better support patients and communities. We need to know from you which services should receive the greatest focus. We will use your responses to help prioritize the work of primary care. This information will be shared with primary care physicians and policy-makers to help inform their decision-making in support of primary care investment.

Why is sharing my opinions and story important to primary care?

Primary care is under threat. Fewer young people are choosing to enter the field and burnout among current clinicians is high. This is coupled with being underfunded and supported by a payment model that prioritizes the number of patient visits rather than the value of care. Read more about the primary care crisis in this Boston Globe article. Your opinion can help inform policy-makers and strengthen primary care.

With additional support, primary care could:

Improve access for urgent care needs

This includes walk-in, same-day appointments and extended hours. Urgent care is for minor illnesses and injuries that do not require emergency care such as minor burns, cuts requiring stitches, and cold-like symptoms.

Offer integrated behavioral health services

Some primary care clinicians are already providing behavioral health services in their practice, but it isn't meeting the increasing demand. This can be addressed by making social workers available to patients in the primary care practice.

Add health coaches

Health coaches can help you develop plans for health goals such as healthy eating, quitting smoking, or reducing stress.

Provide more care in your home

Clinicians could add primary care home visits and the ability to use at-home devices that automatically send information to your primary care office. For example, a device that checks your blood pressure and notifies your primary care team when it detects something concerning.

Provide treatment for people with opioid-use disorder

Increase access to life-saving medications for people with opioid-use disorder.

Improve interpreter services

Increased or improved access to medical interpreter services means that more people are able to receive equitable care. 

Add Nurse care managers

Nurse care managers coordinate care by helping patients navigate the health care system to find the services they need.

Add community health workers

Community health workers can help address social issues that interfere with health such as a like lack of food or safe housing.

Increase options for virtual visits and telehealth

Make technology more accessible and increase the options for virtual care.

Create patient advisory groups

These groups of patients would advise the primary care office on what is and isn’t working.

Strengthen relationships with primary care teams

Improve the ability to reach someone you know and trust when you're sick, get an appointment with a member of your primary care team, to easily access your team via text, email, or telephone; and to spend more time with your primary care clinician when you need them.