From the Guidelines
Nurse practitioners are essential in addressing physician shortages by providing high-quality primary care services, particularly in underserved areas, as they can work independently or collaboratively with physicians to expand healthcare access. According to the American College of Physicians position paper 1, a cooperative approach including physicians, advanced practice registered nurses, and other healthcare professionals in collaborative team models is necessary to address physician shortages. The success of healthcare delivery will require collaborative teams of physicians and non-physicians to provide quality care for individuals and populations with both common and complex healthcare needs using evidence-based guidelines and effective models of collaboration 1.
Some key points to consider:
- NPs are critical to improving access to healthcare in underserved communities, where recruiting physicians can be challenging 1.
- NPs can diagnose and treat illnesses, prescribe medications, order and interpret diagnostic tests, and provide preventive care services, effectively managing approximately 80-90% of the care typically provided by primary care physicians.
- The cost-effectiveness of employing NPs, who typically have lower salaries than physicians, allows healthcare systems to extend services while controlling costs.
- Research consistently shows that NPs deliver care with outcomes comparable to physicians in terms of patient satisfaction, health outcomes, and adherence to evidence-based guidelines.
Overall, the integration of NPs into the healthcare workforce is a practical solution to address physician shortages, particularly in rural and underserved communities. By working together with physicians and other healthcare professionals, NPs can help alleviate the burden of physician shortages and improve access to high-quality healthcare services for all patients 1.
From the Research
Role of Nurse Practitioners in Addressing Physician Shortages
- Nurse practitioners (NPs) have been found to match or exceed their physician colleagues in providing quality care in primary care settings 2.
- NPs are a feasible option for addressing specialty care shortages, with studies demonstrating that they perform as well as physicians in terms of clinical safety and positive patient outcomes 2.
- The use of NPs in primary care is one way to address growing patient demand and improve care delivery, with increasing NP presence in both rural and nonrural primary care practices 3.
Benefits of Nurse Practitioners in Primary Care
- NPs have been utilized to deliver primary care for about 5 decades, traditionally in underserved areas or to vulnerable populations, and have experienced a steady growth and expansion to provide primary care in diverse settings 4.
- NPs are preparing for the future by developing doctoral-level training programs in comprehensive care, which will help to increase the supply of NPs and address physician shortages 5.
- States with full scope-of-practice laws have the highest NP presence, indicating that policies supporting NP practice can encourage the use of NPs in primary care 3.
Challenges and Future Directions
- Despite the benefits of NPs in primary care, there are challenges to be addressed, including the need for coordinated planning to increase the educational infrastructure for physicians, NPs, and physician assistants 5.
- Further research is needed to investigate whether NPs and physicians are equally prepared to provide equivalent care immediately following their respective postbaccalaureate programs, and to explore specific training duration and elements NPs require to provide equivalent care 2.
- Studies have shown that about half of Medicare patients under exclusive NP primary care switched to physicians for some or all primary care over a 3-year period, highlighting the need for further research to understand the reasons for switching and to improve continuity of care 6.