Nurse Practitioners and Primary Care

One of the big problems in the U.S. health-care system is the shortage of primary-care physicians, especially in rural areas. And the shortages may worsen as more patients seek care under the Affordable Care Act. One candidate to help fill that shortage: nurse practitioners. Nurse practitioners are trained to perform clinical care, including ordering lab work and X-rays, and are especially useful in assisting patients with chronic conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure. About a third of states allow nurse practitioners to practice without the supervision of a physician, freeing up doctors to do more. Have you received medical care from nurse practitioners, and do you/would you have confidence in them? Vote and enter your comments, which may be excerpted in a coming Wall Street Journal special report. [wsj-poll name="20130604-153152-620572504" category="topic" size="E"]
Source: WSJ.com: Health Blog - Category: Health Medicine and Bioethics Commentators Authors: Tags: Nursing Source Type: blogs