The Physician Shortage-Projections, Causes, and Solutions W…

The Physician Shortage: Projections, Causes, and Solutions

The Role of Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants

The rural physician shortage is only prevented from being a full-blown health crisis by the growing contributions of nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs).

A 2022 study noted that NPs represent more than 25% of primary care providers in rural areas, up 17.6% since 2008. The percentage is higher in those 26 states allowing NPs Full Practice Authority (FPA). By contrast, the percentage of physicians practicing in rural areas declined by 12.8% over the same period (5 Key Healthcare Trends Affecting Nurse Practitioners in 2023. HealthLeaders. Feb. 6, 2023) . In addition, NPs are taking a larger role in addressing demand for urgently needed mental health services. Close to 100 new psychiatric NP programs have been added to U.S. schools of nursing in the past 10 years, producing more than 13,000 new providers, according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s Enrollment and Graduation Reports 2012-2022. The number of NPs treating Medicare beneficiaries for psychiatric and mental health conditions grew 162% from 2011 to 2019, compared to a 6% decrease in the number of psychiatrists treating Medicare patients (5 Key Healthcare Trends Affecting Nurse Practitioners in 2023. HealthLeaders. Feb. 6, 2023) . Without the growing contributions of NPs, the shortage of mental health professionals would be even more pronounced. Both NPs and PAs are helping to supplement the physician workforce in multiple settings nationwide, including the rapidly growing number of “convenient care” venues, such as urgent care centers, retail clinics and telehealth platforms. Without them, the physician shortage would be considerably more severe.

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