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The top five issues that will affect both doctors and patients in 2013 were identified with the help of the study done by The Physicians Foundation, which is a nonprofit organization working toward the advancement of practicing clinicians and better delivery of health care to patients.

The top five issues documented are based on the analysis of research studies and the policy papers that the foundation published in 2012. The issues are as listed below:

Ø  The patients are wary of the effectiveness of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care ACT (PPACA). This is in spite of the Supreme Court's decision to keep the majority of the provisions listed under the act.

Ø  The next issue is that the larger hospitals and medical agencies are acquiring the smaller private practices. As a result of this, the cost of treatment may arise. However, the competitiveness may lessen. This will result in the decrease in the quality of medical care provided to the patients.

Ø  The introduction and implementation of PPACA might result in the shortage of medical facility, as well as the number of doctors available. The health care system needs to be modified so that ample amount of doctors are available to treat the patients effectively, while at the same time no compromises should be made on the high level of care provided to the patients.

Ø  There is a marked decrease in the freedom of individual doctors. They are not able to make a clinical call without the interference of non-medical personnel. A system needs to be developed wherein the doctors can retain their authority, while at the same time a provision needs to be in place to allow the intervention of non-clinical personnel if so required. This will improve the quality of medical attention provided to the patients.

Ø  An increase in the amount of administrative issues is also predicted to be one of the five reasons. The doctors have to do the administrative work as well. This resulted in a reduction of time spent on actual health care of a patient.

"2013 will be a watershed year for the U.S. healthcare system, it is clear that lawmakers need to work closely with physicians to ensure that we are well prepared to meet the demands of 30 million new patients in the healthcare system and to effectively address the impending doctor shortage and growing patient access crisis," Lou Goodman, Ph.D., president of The Physicians Foundation and chief executive officer of the Texas Medical Association, said in a press release.