NPs Could Be a Solution for Primary Care Physician Shortage

NPs Could Be a Solution for Primary Care Physician Shortage A medical transcription company can understand the negative impact primary care physician shortage can have on patients.

NPs could help save the situation.

Medical Transcription Services United States

An April 2018 report published by the AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges) says that by the year 2030, the United States could witness a shortage of up to 120,000 physicians in primary care, medical specialties, surgical specialties, and other specialties. These findings are in keeping with earlier reports and raise a serious concern in healthcare circles. Companies providing medical transcription services to physicians are also concerned about these statistics, knowing fully well the negative impact such shortage could have on the healthcare system overall.

Is there a practical solution to address this shortage? According to a report from the American Enterprise Institute, states should lift the scope-of-practice (SOP) restrictions on nurse practitioners (NPs) and hospital boards, and credentialing bodies should permit NPs to take up expanded roles in primary care settings.

Physicians should also understand that NPs provide quality healthcare to patients who need it. In an organization, both NPs and physicians should work together to build relationship that allow for their particular roles and practices to evolve and respect each other’s strength. This could considerably lighten the worsening primary care shortage and enable millions of Americans to gain access to primary care.

Restriction on NPs The National Academy of Medicine and National Council of State Boards of Nursing recommend full SOP for NPs, which means they may evaluate and diagnose patients, order and interpret diagnostic tests, and start and manage treatments. They can prescribe medicines under the sole authority of the state board of nursing and prescribe controlled substances when authorized by the Drug enforcement Administration. But now, only 23 states along with the District of Columbia allow full practice, 16 states allow reduced practice and in

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12 states NPS are limited to restricted practice. States with reduced practice and licensure laws limit NPs in at least one element of NP practice and NPs must also have career-long supervision. Though many states are removing SOP restriction, issues still exist. Even in states that allow full practice, NPs could come across restrictions from a local medical society or a hospital or health system. Some hospitals refuse to allow privileges to NPs. The profession of the nurse practitioner has evolved at different rates in each state because of diverse needs and issues. There is a lack of clarity that makes it challenging to practice and puts patients at risk.

Advantages of Using the Service of NPs  Compared to primary physicians, primary care NPs are more likely to practice in federally designated Health Professional Shortage Areas and in rural areas. Medicare beneficiaries who live in states with more restricted practice had lesser access to and use of resources compared to those that live in states with lesser restricted practice.  NPs could help save valuable dollars as well. Their service is costeffective because they are reimbursed at a lower rate than physicians.

Moreover, evidence shows that NPs order around one third fewer test procedures than physicians do, and among those procedures they choose the less expensive tests.

In a primary care setup, physicians, pharmacists, and NPs are important and should have expanded roles in providing care but their roles are not interchangeable. Building a team around the needs and situation of the patient is important. As a medical transcription company assisting primary care clinicians, we understand that loosening the restrictions for NPs to practice could be a good solution to primary care physician shortage problems. Nurse

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practitioners are more likely to work in rural areas and serve poor and vulnerable Americans. As studies show, they provide dedicated services just as physicians and NPs and physicians should work together to ensure the best results for the patient.

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918-221-7809