38 Studies Proving Nurse Practitioners an Physician Assistants Keep You Safe
The traditional healthcare system has many flaws that have been ingrained in it since its conception. While we’ll address many of them in future posts, the one that’s on our minds today is the relationship between nurse practitioners and doctors, both as professionals and how they’ve been portrayed to the public.
The media and academia have long played into the trope of the nurse being subordinate or subversive to the doctor; there as an assistant at best. This demeaning portrayal of nurses plays into the view of the nurse practitioner. It hides the fact that nurse practitioners, by their very job description, are licensed and certified to perform most of the same tasks as a physician would in a primary care setting.
Recently, smear campaigns have emerged from organizations such as the American Medical Association (AMA), claiming that only physicians are capable of caring for patients without putting their health at risk. Or to put it in other terms, nurse practitioners should not be primary care providers because they put a patient’s safety at risk.
Now, Nice is a business that was co-founded by a family nurse practitioner and relies on nurse practitioners and physician assistants to deliver extraordinary care to our patients. From our hiring process to our ongoing training and certification process, we scrutinize all of our clinicians meticulously. Only the best of the best make the cut and we take care of them accordingly.
Our clinicians are exhausted from having to defend themselves against these types of claims that are completely unproven. Study after study shows that patients are safer when they have a team of medical professionals with a diverse set of skills and experience to draw on. So, instead of once again arguing with those spreading the falsehoods, we’re going to let you read the facts for yourself.
Here are 38 studies that have proven the efficacy of nurse practitioners and their capacity for maintaining, if not improving the safety of their patients:
Primary Care Provider Type: Are There Differences in Patients' Intermediate Diabetes Outcomes?
Diabetes patients who received care from physicians, physician assistants (PAs), and NPs had similar health outcomes. This study shows that PAs and NPs can perform a variety of healthcare roles and provide the same quality of care as physicians.
Physician Assistants and Nurse Practitioners Perform Effective Roles on Teams Caring for Medicare Patients with Diabetes
Researchers examined health outcomes of Medicare patients with diabetes, whose care teams included either physicians only or a mix of physicians, PAs, and NPs. All 13 patients had similar results, and their outcomes depended more on the patients and their unique circumstances than their providers.
Critical Care Nurse Practitioners Improve Compliance with Clinical Practice Guidelines in "Semiclosed" Surgical Intensive Care Unit
This study compared different care teams, some of which included acute care NPs while other included physicians only. Researchers found that NPs provided the recommended standard of care more often than physician-only care teams, meaning improved health outcomes for their patients.
Intermediate Diabetes Outcomes in Patients Managed by Physicians, Nurse Practitioners, or Physician Assistants: A Cohort Study
Researchers found that veterans with diabetes who received care from physicians, NPs, and PAs all had similar outcomes.
A National Survey of Nurse Practitioners' Patient Satisfaction Outcomes
Researchers examined 53,885 patient surveys and found that those who were treated by NPs expressed much higher levels of satisfaction.
Diabetes Mellitus Care Provided by Nurse Practitioners vs Primary Care Physicians
This study examined Medicare patients being treated for diabetes by either physicians or NPs and found no significant differences in the quality of care. NPs recommended specialists more often than physicians, and the cost of treatment was roughly the same.
Potentially Preventable Hospitalizations in Medicare Patients with Diabetes: A Comparison of Primary Care Provided by Nurse Practitioners Versus Physicians
In this study, diabetes patients treated by NPs had fewer preventable hospitalizations, and their standard of care was comparable or better when compared to that of physicians.
A Comparison of Nurse Practitioners, Physician Assistants, and Primary Care Physicians' Patterns of Practice and Quality of Care in Health Centers
Researchers studied five years’ worth of data from 23,704 patient visits to 1,139 practitioners and found that NPs had similar health outcomes to physicians. Patients who saw NPs were also more likely to get other helpful care and recommendations, such as smoking cessation counseling and health education and counseling services.
Outcomes Of Nurse Practitioner-delivered Critical Care: A Prospective Cohort Study
This study examined over 9,000 critically ill patients admitted to an ICU, based on whether they were treated by NPs or resident doctors. Patients treated by NPs had similar health outcomes to those treated by physicians and also had shorter hospital stays.
Primary Care Outcomes In Patients Treated By Nurse Practitioners Or Physicians: Two-year Follow-up
Researchers followed 406 adults–some of whom saw physicians, and others, NPs–for six months and followed up with them two years later with respect to their health status, physical abilities, satisfaction, and ER or inpatient services. No differences were found between those treated by physicians and NPs.
Outcomes Of Primary Care Delivery By Nurse Practitioners: Utilization, Cost, And Quality Of Care
Researchers looked at the health outcomes of 806,434 Veterans Affairs patients with respect to primary care, specialty care, mental health, emergency care, costs, and clinical outcomes such as LDL, and blood pressure levels. Patients who saw NPs had comparable outcomes to those who saw MDs, while having lower medical expenses, overall.
Does Primary Care Diabetes Management Provided to Medicare Patients Differ Between Primary Care Physicians and Nurse Practitioners?
Researchers reviewed the health services, outcomes, and care costs of Medicare patients with Type 2 diabetes who were seen by either NPs or primary care physicians. Overall, patients who saw only NPs, had better outcomes than those who saw physicians.
Comparing Use of Low-value Health Care Services Among U.S. Advanced Practice Clinicians and Physicians
Researchers analyzed thousands of visits to physicians, NPs, and PAs for respiratory infections, back pain, and headaches in both office settings and hospitals. They found that NPs and PAs ordered more tests than physicians and provided the same amount of everyday health services, resulting in similar outcomes.
Comparison of Nurse Practitioner and Physician Practice Models in Nursing Facilities
Researchers found that when NPs were part of the care team at nursing homes, residents in these facilities had better health markers and behavior. NPs were found to better follow directives, increase the residents’ quality of life, and minimize the use of costly, unwanted treatments.
Medication Adherence, Costs, and ER Visits of Nurse Practitioner and Primary Care Physician Patients: Evidence from Three Cohorts Of Medicare Beneficiaries
This study analyzed the care costs, medication adherence, and ER visits of Medicare patients. Results showed that patients who saw NPs took their medication just as regularly as those who saw MDs, and those who saw NPs had lower healthcare costs and fewer ER visits.
Primary Care Outcomes in Patients Treated by Nurse Practitioners or Physicians: A Randomized Trial
In this study, 1,316 patients were randomly assigned to either nurse practitioners or physicians for follow-ups and ongoing care after visits to the ER or urgent care between August 1995 and October 1997. There were no significant differences in health outcomes between groups, and patients with hypertension who saw an NP generally had lower blood pressure.
Quality of Diabetes Care in Family Medicine Practices: Influence of Nurse-practitioners and Physician's Assistants
Researchers examined 46 family medicine practices and the treatment of 846 patients with diabetes from New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Overall, practices with NPs provided better, more thorough care to their patients than practices with only physicians on staff.
Impact of Advanced Practice Registered Nurses on Quality Measures: The Missouri Quality Initiative Experience
This study analyzed two groups of nursing homes in Missouri. Researchers found that facilities with registered nurses on staff had better health outcomes than those with only physicians over a 30-month period.
Differences in The Delivery of Health Education to Patients With Chronic Disease by Provider Type, 2005-2009
Researchers analyzed five years’ worth of data from 136,432 adult patient visits for chronic conditions, including asthma, depression, diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. Results showed that PAs and NPs provided more potentially life-saving health education to their patients–such as information about the patients’ chronic condition, smoking cessation, and exercise–than physicians.
Patient Satisfaction With Primary Care: Does Type of Practitioner Matter?
This study reviewed data from adult medicine and pediatrics practices between 1997 and 2000, involving 41,209 patients who saw either physicians, NPs, or PAs. There were no meaningful differences in satisfaction between groups, and in many cases, patients were more satisfied with visits to an NP or PA than with visits to physicians.
The Burlington Randomized Trial of The Nurse Practitioner: Health Outcomes of Patients
In a randomized trial, patients who saw NPs showed similar levels of physical, emotional, and social function to those who saw physicians after one year of receiving care. This shows that seeing a NP is safe and results in similar health outcomes.
The Quality and Outcomes of Care Provided to Patients With Cirrhosis by Advanced Practice Providers
Out of 389,257 patients with cirrhosis of the liver, those who saw an NP got more important screenings, had better health outcomes, and reported higher quality of care.
Comparative Effectiveness of Outpatient Cardiovascular Disease and Diabetes Care Delivery Between Advanced Practice Providers and Physician Providers in Primary Care: Implications for Care Under The Affordable Care Act
This study analyzed over one million patients with diabetes and one million patients with heart disease between October 2013 and September 2014. There were no significant differences in health markers between patients who saw NPs and those who saw physicians.
Provider Type and Quality of Outpatient Cardiovascular Disease Care, Implications for the Affordable Care Act: Insights from the NCDR®pinnacle Registry
Researchers studied the data of patients with heart conditions between January 1st and December 31st, 2012. Out of 279,770 patients who saw 672 providers (540 physicians and 132 non-physicians, either NPs or PAs), health outcomes were similar, and NPs prescribed more potentially life-saving medication.
Hypertension Treatment and Control Within an Independent Nurse Practitioner Setting
This study analyzed patients with hypertension, some of whom saw NPs and others physicians. All patients had similar blood pressure and received similar care.
Nurse Practitioners, Physician Assistants, and Physicians are Comparable in Managing The First Five Years of Diabetes
Researchers examined the experiences of 19,238 patients with diabetes and found that NPs provided the same level and quality of care upon diagnosis and throughout four years of treatment.
Care of Nursing Home Residents by Advanced Practice Nurses. A Review of The Literature
This study showed nursing homes with NPs provided a higher quality of care than similar facilities with only physicians.
A Meta-analysis of Nurse Practitioners and Nurse Midwives in Primary Care
Researchers studied 33 patient outcomes from treatment with NPs, nurse midwives (NMs), and primary care physicians. NPs were associated with higher patient satisfaction and similar health outcomes to physicians.
A Systematic Review of the Impact of Nurse Practitioners on Cost, Quality of Care, Satisfaction and Wait Times in the Emergency Department
Researchers found that with respect to hospital visits, NPs reduced ER wait times, increased patient satisfaction, and provided the same quality of care as resident doctors.
Physician Extenders: Their Current and Future Role in Medical Care Delivery
This is a report discussing how NPs and PAs not only make quality primary care more accessible but improve the quality of care–and may potentially lower healthcare costs.
Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants in Acute and Critical Care: A Concise Review of the Literature and Data 2008-2018
A review of over 50 studies of ICU patient outcomes spanning over a decade showed that NPs had either similar or better outcomes compared to physicians. Treatment by NPs also resulted in shorter hospital stays, higher satisfaction and discharge rates, less time in the operating room, and fewer complications.
Substitution of doctors by nurses in primary care
In this review of 4,253 studies, researchers found that NPs’ patient health outcomes were similar to those of doctors, but NPs had better patient satisfaction. NPs also spent more time with their patients, gave them more information, and recalled their patients’ names more frequently than physicians did.
The Role Of Nurse Practitioners In Reinventing Primary Care
This study found that NPs improved primary care quality and reduced healthcare costs, leading researchers to recommend that laws allow for better pay for NPs and publicly available results.
Advanced practice nurse outcomes 1990-2008: a systematic review
Researchers compared patient outcomes of NPs and physicians spanning 18 years and found that NPs provided similar if not better care than physicians.
Nurse Practitioners, Physician Assistants, and Certified Nurse-Midwives: A Policy Analysis
This study reviewed policies and data on NPs, PAs, and certified NMs and found their care to be equivalent to that of physicians. NPs and PAs were also found to provide better communication and health information, as well as counseling and preventative care.
Evaluating nurse practitioner performance
This article discusses studies of NPs’ performance and includes recommendations for evaluating their care, which is typically found to be as good as or better than that of physicians.
Health Care Dollars and Regulatory Sense: The Role of Advanced Practice Nursing
This report discusses the shortcomings of our healthcare system and points to numerous studies showing that treatment by NPs is as good as or better than treatment by physicians. NPs can make quality healthcare more available and affordable.
The quality and effectiveness of care provided by nurse practitioners
Researchers compared patient outcomes of NPs and MDs from 37 articles published over a 19-year period and found that both groups had high-quality, safe, and effective care. Patients also had similar satisfaction, functional status, and health markers, such as blood glucose, blood pressure, and mortality.