Medical Economics June 7, 2019
In recent years, nurse practitioners and physician assistants have been taking on ever-greater roles as primary care providers, especially for patients with chronic complex conditions. Their expanded use has been driven largely by the shortage of primary care physicians.
A new study suggests that they can also reduce the costs of caring for these patients. The study, published in the June issue of Health Affairs, focuses on approximately 47,000 medically complex patients with diabetes who received care at Veterans Affairs facilities in 2013. It compares the costs and outcomes of those who had physicians as their primary care provider with those who received care from an NP or PA.
About half the patients were...
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