In the health care and health insurance blog worlds, there’s plenty of talk about a primary care physician shortage. But I’m curious about whether the average American - not involved in the health care industry other than as a patient - knows about the PCP shortage or sees it as a problem.

A survey released today by The Physicians’ Foundation depicts widespread frustration and concern among primary care physicians nationwide, which could lead to a dramatic decrease in practicing doctors in the near future. The survey examined the causes behind the doctors’ dissatisfaction, the state of their practices and the future of care.

The average American spends a total of about 30 minutes a year with a primary care physician in a system that is less comprehensive than that of Australia or New Zealand, according to a new study comparing primary care practice in the three countries.

In an editorial published in the April issue of the Journal of General Internal Medicine, Malaz Boustani, M.D., M.P.H., of the Indiana University Center for Aging Research and the Regenstrief Institute, Inc. writes that assessing the safety of older drivers is not a responsibility that should reside with the primary care physician.