Telemedicine, walk-in clinics cloud role of family doctor

Patients have so many choices for care now as telemedicine and other options grow. And some question how much they still need a regular doctor.

A survey last year found more than a quarter of adults don’t have a primary care doctor. That total jumps to 45% for those under age 30.

Health care experts say the changing, fragmented nature of care is precisely why people still need family doctors to look out for their overall health.

Some primary care practices are slowly shifting to more of a team-based approach that focuses on keeping patients healthy and reserves visits with a doctor for the more serious cases.