The number of primary care physicians is declining at a time when the U.S. needs more primary care physicians than ever.
Here are eight statistics on the primary care workforce, compiled from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's fact sheets and reports.
1. In 2008, there were 490 million visits to a primary care physician, which represents more than half of all visits to all physicians' offices.
2. Roughly one-third of physicians currently practice primary care — about 209,000 physicians in 2010.
3. Less than one-fourth of medical school graduates are going into primary care.
4. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act's Prevention and Public Health Fund invested $250 million into primary care training.
5. In 2010, 52 percent of nurse practitioners were practicing primary care.
6. In 2010, 43.4 percent of physician assistants were practicing primary care.
7. Nurse practitioners and physician assistants are more likely to practice in rural areas than physicians, at 27.8 percent, 24.9 percent and11 percent, respectively.
8. However, most healthcare providers are still concentrated in urban areas, with 89 percent of physicians, 72.2 percent of nurse practitioners and 75.1 percent of physician assistants in urban areas.
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