United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 2008-02-12 monographic deposited born digital 22 p. GA 1.13:GAO-08-472T https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-472T P0b002ee180398b30 f:d08472t DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-28 GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-472T machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-472T GAO-08-472T Dentists Federal funds Funds management Health care costs Health care personnel Health care planning Health care policies Health care reform Health care services Medical education Nurses Physicians Testimony A80691 Most of the funding for programs under title VII of the Public Health Service Act goes toward primary care medicine and dentistry training and increasing medical student diversity. Despite a longstanding objective of title VII to increase the total supply of primary care professionals, health care marketplace signals suggest an undervaluing of primary care medicine, creating a concern about the future supply of primary care professionals--physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and dentists. This concern comes at a time when there is growing recognition that greater use of primary care services and less reliance on specialty services can lead to better health outcomes at lower cost. GAO was asked to focus on (1) recent supply trends for primary care professionals, including information on training and demographic characteristics; (2) projections of future supply for primary care professionals, including the factors underlying these projections; and (3) the influence of the health care system's financing mechanisms on the valuation of primary care services. GAO obtained data from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and organizations representing primary care professionals. GAO also reviewed relevant literature and position statements of these organizations. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-472T/html/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-472T.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-472T/pdf/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-472T.pdf GAO-08-472T https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-472T Testimony GAO-08-472T; Primary Care Professionals: Recent Supply Trends, Projections, and Valuation of Services; Dentists Federal funds Funds management Health care costs Health care personnel Health care planning Health care policies Health care reform Health care services Medical education Nurses Physicians