Literature Supports the Value of Nurse Practitioners in Primary Care

STAMFORD, CT, November 21, 2010 (Press-News.org) A recent study adds to the growing body of literature that supports the value of nurse practitioners (NPs) in primary care and their equivalence to physicians.

The report by Naylor and Kurtzman in the May 2010 issue of Health Affairs was based on a structured literature search to identify and synthesize available evidence on the value of advanced practice nurses in delivering primary care, with a particular emphasis on the contributions of nurse practitioners.

Patient Satisfaction Is High
Early studies from the 1970s and 1980s demonstrated equality in care between NPs and physicians. Subsequent studies since 2000 indicate that NPs provide care that is equivalent to the care provided by physicians, and in some studies, more effective care among selected measures than that provided by physicians. Consistent findings included the absence of group differences in health status, treatment practices, and prescribing behavior. Better results were achieved by NPs on measures of patient follow-up; consultation time; satisfaction; and the provision of screening, assessment, and counseling.
The value of NPs in providing primary care is recognized in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, written with provider-neutral language, and allocating greater funding for nurse-managed health centers and additional NP training.

The authors of the Health Affairs article recommend a number of measures to further advance the role of NPs and recognize their value. Among these are standardizing state laws governing how NPs may practice, requiring reimbursement for comparable services regardless of practitioner, and publicly reporting performance to maximize the high-quality care provided by NPs.

Source: Naylor MD, Kurtzman ET. The role of nurse practitioners in reinventing primary care. Health Affairs. 2010;29:893-899.

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Practicing Clinicians Exchange (PCE) is an innovative national education initative designed specifically for nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs). PCE's premier series of live, national CE/CME symposia and other educational activities revolve around the challenges NPs and PAs face most often in clinical practice.