How many different health problems do family doctors deal with in a given day? In a fascinating post on the blog Dr. Malia Reckons, family physician Dr. Timothy Malia decided to keep track of all the different health issues he had to treat on a single day. Here's his list:
Hypertension
Obesity
Vaccinations (tetanus and pneumonia)
Low back pain in elderly man
Increased thoughts of suicide
Attention deficit disorder
Acne
Bronchitis
Insomnia
Emotional stress (marital and child issues)
Weight loss, unexplained
Infant - well child check
Complete physicals, father and son (camp forms completed)
Ringworm
Premature breast tissue development in infant
Toenail fungal infection
Dyshidrotic eczema
Lipoma (a benign fatty growth)
Allergic conjunctivitis
Sliver of fiberglass in finger
Alcoholism
High cholesterol
Asthma
At a time when Congress is debating health care reform, the list is a good reminder of the enormous responsibilities the family physician has as the gatekeeper of the health care system. Most experts agree that for any plan to succeed, reform must also address the growing shortage of family doctors. According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, most medical school graduates now choose better-paying specialty fields like dermatology or orthopedic surgery, a trend that is expected to lead to a shortage of tens of thousands of family doctors within a decade.
