Survey: Doctors say recession lowers patient volume - Puget Sound Business Journal (Seattle):

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The organization surveyed its membership and found that 54 percen reported seeing fewer patientsdurinhg “the most recent economic downturh (the past year or so).” • 89 percentf agreed that their “patients have expressed concerns recently over their abilityh to pay for their health care needs.” • 60 percengt said they had “seen more healtuh problems caused by theifr patients forgoing needed preventived care.” • 66 percent indicated takint specific actions — such as discounting increasing charity care, providing free screenings and movingb patients to generic prescriptions to help patients manage.
“The findings are AAFP President Ted Epperluy said in a Tuesdayconference call. “We’r e seeing patients basically be He said one association member attributed a patien t death to deferred care caused by the The member saida 45-year-olsd diabetic male died of a heart attaco after not visiting the doctor for management of the “What we are seeing with many peoplw with chronic diseases, such as diabetes (or) hypertension is that they are gointg without or cutting back on medications,” said a family physician in Idaho. “Unfortunately, if not handled this can lead to emergencyu room visits and hospitalizations that couldf havebeen avoided.
” The American Academy of Familyy Physicians is a national association of familyu doctors. It was foundedf in 1947 and has morethan 94,000 member s in all 50 states, the District of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam and the uniformed services.