The Doctor’s Not In. You’ll Have to See a Nurse.
California is among 23 states that allow nurse practitioners to act as primary care providers without a doctor’s supervision, a move aimed at stemming a shortage of physicians and reducing costs. Now the nurses are poised to take on an even greater role as Los Angeles County and other health systems develop “medical home” models of care that expand the number of primary care providers, including nurses, to meet the requirements of national healthcare legislation, reduce unnecessary hospital visits and cut costs.
This is where we are headed. No doubt.
I think nurses can be very helpful, but I don’t want to feel that I have to see a nurse, instead of a doctor.
This is increasingly common. Patients will be able to see a nurse practitioner (NP) at a retail clinic. Or they can see a medical doctor (or DO) in a traditional clinical setting. They may even have a choice of NP in a clinical setting. Competition and choice will be good for patient access to care.
I don’t see why a nurse can’t diagnose and prescribe treatment for 90% of common ailments. Having a guy who went through med school tell me that I have a cold and then charge me $150 for something that I already knew has always seemed like a ripoff. If the nurses charge less, so be it. I’ll go to them.
What value do doctors add? It’s their range of training that makes them valuable, and that value just isn’t realized for common problems.
Virginia, there is nothing wrong with a nurse. That is who runs the walk-in clinics. But you don’t have to go to a walk-in clinic. At least not today. In the future, you may have no choice.
This is definitely where we are headed.
It is where we are headed and it’s a good thing. Nurse practitioners are well trained and effective. They decrease costs and have a focus on prevention. There will still be physicians if needed and I’m sure in the future you will be able to see one, at a much higher cost of course.