How to bring primary care back to patients.

Abstract

Reforming the health care system is too often thought of in the context of finding new financing methods to preserve the existing system. The nursing profession's agenda for health reform argues for a return to more basic values of consumer empowerment, access, primary care, prevention and self-care balanced with acute care. Family-care clinics based in schools, workplaces, and other community sites are an important element to this approach. The ever-worsening shortage of primary care providers can be solved by support of advanced practice nurses.