title: Fighting hand to hand over physician workforce policy.
abstract: A vexing problem in health policy is getting the right number of physicians in the right specialties in the right locations at the right time. I examine market and public planning approaches to getting the number "right." After discussing the basic premises of the invisible hand of the market and the heavy hand of government regulation, I apply these concepts to a review of the past century of U.S. physician supply and workforce policy. I conclude by examining recent health system trends that make clear the need for a firm regulatory grasp on physician workforce policy.
authors.affiliation: University of California, San Francisco, USA.
authors.forename: Kevin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Grumbach
mesh_terms: D019981:Health Care Sector; D006285:Health Planning / Q000639:trends*; D006291:Health Policy / Q000639:trends*; D006280:Health Workforce; D010820:Physicians / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D011365:Professional Practice Location; D014481:United States