As the day progressed, Dr. Smith and Rachel saw patient after patient, each with their own unique story and concerns. There was Mrs. Thompson, who was struggling with chronic pain and needed a medication refill; Jake, a young athlete with a sports injury; and the Rodriguezes, a family of four who were all getting flu shots.
The medical community in 2018 also faced internal struggles regarding the identity of the "family doctor." family practice 2018
For researchers, looking at 2018 data provides a baseline pre-COVID primary care landscape. For patients, understanding the chaos of 2018 explains why your doctor might seem burned out today. And for medical students, studying the trials of 2018—the EHR burnout, the shift to value-based care, the rise of DPC—offers a roadmap of what worked and what broke. As the day progressed, Dr