Physicians Practice January 30, 2020
Across the country, corporations and government agencies are replacing physicians with nurse practitioners (NPs). While these entities argue that they have been forced to hire nurse practitioners due to a supposed physician shortage, the truth is that physicians are being systematically fired and replaced by lesser qualified clinicians on the basis of profit. This short-sighted trend is dangerous for several reasons.
Lack of informed consent and patient choice
Patients are inherently vulnerable and have little choice but to place their trust in the treating medical team. Most Americans trust the training of physicians, and report that they prefer to be treated by a physician. Due to the right of informed consent, all patients deserve to be informed that they are...