As the health care industry experiences ongoing clinical workforce shortages, the push to allow physician assistants (PAs) and NPs to operate with expanded practice abilities is gaining more support—but many doctors still question their treatment decisions, according to a recent Medscape report.
Most physicians, PAs, and NPs have a positive working relationship
According to the National Commission on Certification of PAs, the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, and the Federation of State Medical Boards, there are almost 149,000 certified PAs, 355,000 NPs, and more than 1 million physicians practicing in the United States.
Of those physicians, almost 70% work for hospitals or corporate entities, the Physician Advocacy Institute reports. According to Medscape, these figures suggest that nearly 700,000 physicians work for a health system that also has PAs and NPs on staff.
Overall, physicians, PAs, and NPs say they have a positive working relationship.
Medscape found that 91% of physicians said their working relationship with PAs was "good to very good," and 94% of PAs said the same about their working relationship with physicians. In addition, 87% of physicians said their working relationship with NPs was "good to very good," and 92% of NPs said the same about their working relationship with physicians.
Physicians regularly question treatment decisions made by NPs and PAs
Medscape surveyed more than 750 physicians across more than 28 specialties. While most physicians reported being generally satisfied with the way PAs and NPs treat patients, many still regularly question the treatment decisions made by PAs and NPs.
For instance, 74% of physicians said they were "somewhat satisfied to very satisfied" with PAs' treatment of patients, and 71% of physicians said the same about NPs.
Yet, roughly 80% of physicians said they often or occasionally question treatment decisions made by PAs and NPs. And just 57% of PAs and 63% of NPs said they "often" or "occasionally" find themselves questioning a physician's treatment decisions.
Physicians have mixed feelings about expanding treatment abilities for NPs and PAs
Overall, physicians held both positive and negative opinions about expanding treatment abilities for NPs and PAs. In particular, 57% of physicians said they saw "both positives and negatives" associated with giving PAs more treatment abilities, while 47% had mixed feelings about expanding treatment abilities for NPs.
(Bean, Becker's Hospital Review, 11/29; McKenna, Medscape Evolving Scope of Practice report, 11/29)
