If all doctors had more time to listen

The Obama administration is considering ways to persuade medical students to pursue careers in primary care by raising their pay, and is channeling them to work in underserved rural areas. And the White House has already set aside $2 billion for community health centers through the economic stimulus package. But in the interim a small but growing number of doctors are trying to take matters into their own hands by spending more time with patients, emphasizing prevention and education to keep patients healthy, and handling many medical problems without referrals to specialists.