The AAFP has been working to create solutions for interference in patient care. | Courtesy of Shutterstock
+ Technology/Innovation
Amanda Rupp | May 14, 2016

AAFP develops solutions for interference in patient care

Members of the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) recently held meetings to resolve issues that interfere with the care that patients receive from their physicians.

This annual three-day National Conference of Constituency Leaders (NCCL) features leaders who are involved with minorities, women, international medical graduates (IMGs), new physicians, and gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender (GLBT) physicians.

One of the most important issues at the conference was whether members should accept reference committee recommendations. These include pay-for-performance (P4P) rankings as well as end-of-life discussions that doctors hold with patients.

P4P rankings are strongly against the AAFP, as these impact physicians’ standing with patients and on panels. Insurance companies have chosen to rank doctors by their performance; though this may sound like a good idea, there are issues at play that doctors cannot control, such as socioeconomic factors and patient compliance. Insurance companies have used this information to develop statistics that deny the inconsistent methods that have been used to find the information.

There is a single underlying motif to the resolutions: family physicians must be able to provide patients with the optimum care available to them. The P4P rankings effectively limit doctors’ ability to do this, as they cannot meet some of the measures of insurance companies because of the ambiguous ratings.

Organizations in this story

More News