Physician Assistants
Number in 2008: 74,800
Growth rate from 2004 to 2009: 29%
Average years of education: 18

Nurse Practitioners
Number in 2008: 158,348
Growth rate from 2004 to 2009: 39%
Average years of education: 18

Registered Nurses
Number in 2008: 2,618,700
Growth rate from 2004 to 2009: 12%
Average years of education: 15

As health care reform rolls out over the next five years and millions of newly insured seek treatment, the shortage of general medicine doctors will only worsen. Many researchers anticipate that physician assistants (PAs) and nurse practitioners will step in to fill that gap. They are already on the front lines, handling more and more routine visits, and their numbers are expected to increase in the coming years. Researchers are finding that the presence of PAs and nurse practitioners at doctors’ offices may help improve both the quality and availability of medical care.

Today community health care clinics are twice as likely as private practices to employ PAs and nurse practitioners. Thanks in part to the PAs and nurses, one recent study published in the Journal of Community Health found, clinics were able to see a greater volume of patients and to remain open for longer hours. The clinics were also able to spend more time educating patients about their conditions—something that nurses and PAs were more likely to do than doctors. Clinics also employed an efficient division of labor, whereby PAs were deployed more to patients with acute conditions such as colds or minor injuries, and doctors treated more patients with chronic conditions. Right now who one sees at the doctor’s office is too often dictated by scheduling convenience, rather than by how tricky one’s case is, says Roderick Hooker, a health services researcher at the Lewin Group in Falls Church, Va., and co-author of the paper. As more PAs and nurses join private practices, community health clinics could be used as a model. With the flood of new patients, doctors will need all the help they can get.

This article was originally published with the title A Little Help from Their Friends.

4 Comments

1. 1. Frozenmd 09:01 PM 2/21/11

   Those average years of education seem a little off. Unless it means Kindergarten through all higher learning, which would seem a little dishonest.

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2. 2. Wayne Williamson in reply to Frozenmd 05:58 PM 3/15/11

   I didn't really notice it when first reading the article, but I believe you are correct....the years should probably 6, 6, and 3 above high school....anyone....

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3. 3. jgrosay 06:52 PM 3/15/11

   I don't think being received by a nurse or medical assistant is any good. Medicine is a so complex science that
   sub-specializing is growing, but to rely on the care of a professional that has received only a lesser part of the available science is dangerous, and in some way constitutes a theft from MD s, that for sure do not want to leave his turf unprotected. The Alma-Ata nursery conference that settled the rule that nursery is not a profession ancillary to other, what in fact wants is acting as doctors for minor diseases, making H&P and tests and Rx. For the government ruled health systems is also a good way to reduce costs, as the paramedic salaries are lower, but it's hard to imagine a worst scenario for patients. In third world countries, the medical issue is finding the resources for an adequate care of patients, in developed countries, the goal is excellence, good use of resources and trying to solve all challenges. This approach can have some advantages in rare cases, for example it was shown by adequate clinical trials, that nurses find more lesions in endoscopies that doctors, and patients are more satisfied with the nurse's endoscopy that with that of doctors. Formerly, some medical specialties had their backbone in some technique,but techniques can be left to nurses under adequate supervision, and the doctor's strong point is expertise. Paramedics and nurses and doctor assistants centered medical care, please never, we are not in Castro's Cuba. Have some respect for your customer, and try not only to keep them satisfied, but give a good care. Keep the quality up!

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4. 4. whatsup 05:41 AM 3/23/11

   I have an idea. Why not remove the emergency exit sign and push em out the door? That would really speed things up and lower the cost to boot. No pun intended!
   
   Some one thinks we're bloody idiots
   
   

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