Time to Invest in Primary Care Research—Commentary on Findings from an Independent Congressionally Mandated Study

Nearly half of all visits¹ take place in primary care, and the majority of diseases and illnesses are managed within primary care without referrals to specialists and hospitals.² Primary care research (PCR) is a crucial element in American health care that acknowledges the comprehensive and complex nature of primary care where patients are treated as whole persons in the context of a home, family, community, geography, and culture. At its best, PCR builds the unique evidence necessary for effective delivery of primary care. Despite this critical position, PCR is chronically underfunded.³ Similar to PCR, the nation has underinvested in health services research (HSR), choosing to allocate resources to biomedical research rather than address the issues plaguing our system. HSR and PCR have the potential to establish the evidence base needed by policy makers, health system administrators, and patients to improve quality, safety, and effectiveness of health care in the United States. …