Unit 4 (2nd Part) Responses

An Advantage of using the gatekeeper system is that, since primary care doctors typically charge less, the cost of health care is reduced. Under ideal conditions, the primary care provider functions, focus on the health of the whole person rather than on a single organ system in the body. The primary care provider emphasizes the importance of prevention and establishes a schedule for age-appropriate health screening. When a suspected problem does exist, the provider can make the initial diagnosis, advise the patient on further treatment and make necessary referrals. The fact that all medical records are kept in one location also contributes to care that is better coordinated. A 2014 study compared non-gatekeeping Austria and the gatekeeping USA, showing that Austrian patients seek help in the secondary and tertiary sector four times more frequently than in the USA. The study revealed that a country lacking formal regulation in terms of primary to secondary and tertiary care referrals such as Austria, led to a high over-utilization of secondary and tertiary care facilities.