Distinctions between primary care and specialty care

1. What are the major distinctions between primary care and specialty care?

2. Why is there a geographic maldistribution of the physician labor force in the United States?

3. Why is there an imbalance between primary care and specialty care in the United States?

4. Which measures have been or can be employed to overcome problems related to physician maldistribution and imbalance?

5. Who are midlevel providers? What are their roles in the delivery of health care? How can the use of mid-level providers reduce cost and workload in healthcare?