A gatekeeper is a primary care provider who acts as an agent for patients. They coordinate medical care so that patient receives appropriate services and also provide referrals to specialists. Typically, primary care physicians include family practitioner, generalist physician and pediatrician. Ideally, gatekeepers are much like family doctors, they focus on the health of the person as a whole instead of a single organ. They help emphasize prevention care and establish appropriate health screening based on the patient. On the hand, there are concerns that the system of gatekeeping makes urgent care inconvenient. The pros and cons surrounding the system of gatekeeping really question its effectiveness. On the other hand, no system is …show more content…

You either has to stay in your current unsatisfied situation or pay out-of-pocket for your choice of PCP. There are many factors that can lead you to be disappointed in the service provided by your PCP. First, the PCP’s current reimbursement system forces doctors to cram as much patients as they can in a day to make up for their relatively low pay rates. At the same time, quality is decreasing as doctors lose more time to connect with their patient and closely evaluate results and data. Another criticism against the system of gatekeeper is the strictness of Standard Operating Procedure that has to be followed. The process of obtaining approval from the insurance provider before any treatment is commenced can be very lengthy. Many also complaints about long waiting periods to book an appointment, inconvenient office locations and available times for appointment is incompatible with busy schedules. The lack of coordination and lengthy wait period leads patients to take matter in their own hands. It is likely for those who believe that they need urgent care to seek out their own specialist. For example, my aunt’s father in law, Brian suspected that he has appendicitis. He was told by his PCP to wait 5 days for an appointment. Brian knew that if he has appendicitis, the appendix could rupture within 3 days. He decided to go to the emergency department and that saved his life. Brian is now aware of his power to be proactive in his