WASHINGTON, May 21, 2020—In a new survey of primary care clinicians and their response to the COVID-19 pandemic, conducted May 15-18, more than half (55%) fear they are unprepared for the next wave of the pandemic due to high stress among clinicians, limited access to testing and adequate PPE, and patient struggles with technology.
In the fight against COVID-19, health care systems have canceled surgeries, shuttered some primary care offices, created COVID-19 wards and left dental chairs empty to prevent the virus’s spread. And as asked, many patients heeded officials’ pleas and stayed home...
As visits plummet because of the coronavirus, small physician practices are struggling to survive.
While there are no hard numbers, there are signs that many small [primary care practices] are barely hanging on. Across the country, only half of primary care doctor practices say they have enough cash to stay open for the next four weeks, according to one study, and many are already laying off or furloughing workers...
Covid-19 has exposed many weaknesses in American life, including the vulnerabilities of the US health care system. In a nation that already trailed other rich countries in access to health care, America’s primary care is imperiled by this pandemic — now and in the future.
