Biomaterial Database

Use of physician assistants and nurse practitioners in primary care, 1995-1999. 2001

R S Hooker, and L F McCaig

Division of Health Services Research, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, USA.

Federal policies and state legislation in the United States encourage the use of physician assistants (PAs) and nurse practitioners (NPs) in primary care, although the nature of their work has not been fully analyzed. This article analyzes primary care physician office-encounter data from the 1995-1999 National Ambulatory Medical Care Surveys. About one-quarter of primary care office-based physicians used PAs and/or NPs for an average of 11% of visits. The mean age of patients seen by physicians was greater than that for PAs or NPs. NPs provided counselling/education during a higher proportion of visits than did PAs or physicians. Overall, this study suggests that PAs and NPs are providing primary care in a way that is similar to physician care.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D009722	Nurse Practitioners	Nurses who are specially trained to assume an expanded role in providing medical care under the supervision of a physician.	Nurse Practitioner,Practitioner, Nurse,Practitioners, Nurse
D009819	Office Visits	Visits made by patients to health service providers' offices for diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up.	Office Visit,Visit, Office,Visits, Office
D010823	Physician Assistants	Health professionals who practice medicine as members of a team with their supervising physicians. They deliver a broad range of medical and surgical services to diverse populations in rural and urban settings. Duties may include physical exams, diagnosis and treatment of disease, interpretation of tests, assist in surgery, and prescribe medications. (from http://www.aapa.orglabout-pas accessed 2114/2011)	Doctor's Assistant,Feldsher,Feldshers,Physician Assistant,Physicians' Assistants,Physicians' Extender,Physicians' Extenders,Doctor's Assistants,Assistant, Doctor's,Assistant, Physicians',Assistants, Doctor's,Assistants, Physician,Assistants, Physicians',Doctor Assistant,Doctor Assistants,Doctors Assistant,Extender, Physicians',Extenders, Physicians',Physician Extender,Physician Extenders,Physician's Assistants,Physician's Extender,Physician's Extenders,Physicians Assistants,Physicians Extender,Physicians' Assistant
D011320	Primary Health Care	Care which provides integrated, accessible health care services by clinicians who are accountable for addressing a large majority of personal health care needs, developing a sustained partnership with patients, and practicing in the context of family and community. (JAMA 1995;273(3):192)	Primary Care,Primary Healthcare,Care, Primary,Care, Primary Health,Health Care, Primary,Healthcare, Primary
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000078329	Workforce	The number of people working or available for work or service.	Human Resources,Labor Supply,Manpower,Staffing,Womanpower,Human Resource,Labor Supplies,Manpowers,Staffings,Supply, Labor,Womanpowers,Workforces
D000328	Adult	A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available.	Adults
D014481	United States	A country in NORTH AMERICA between CANADA and MEXICO.
D019538	Health Care Surveys	Statistical measures of utilization and other aspects of the provision of health care services including hospitalization and ambulatory care.	Healthcare Surveys,National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey,National Hospital Discharge Survey,Care Survey, Health,Care Surveys, Health,Health Care Survey,Healthcare Survey,Survey, Health Care,Survey, Healthcare,Surveys, Health Care,Surveys, Healthcare