MD versus NP as a primary care provider

[icelind]

A nurse I work with forwarded on the following article to me that is definitely worth the read: http://www.healthaffairs.org/healthpolicybriefs/brief.php?brief_id=79

It is interesting how the article refers to "overqualified" primary care physicians and that much of primary care can be done by an APP (NP or PA) provided that they know when to refer an issue to a physician. Aspiring to be a nurse practitioner and work in primary care myself, I was wondering what other people thought about APPs moving into the role traditionally held by MDs. Particularly in light of the massive insurance changes going on in the next couple of years...

[SycamoreGuy]

What wrong with lumping all NPs, PAs and MDs/DOs into one name, say Primary Care Provider or Health Care Provider. I know the MDs wouldn't like it but it does make sense.

[BostonFNP, APRN]

I am very fortunate to work with a MD that tells everyone he meets that NPs are better primary care providers than physicians are and encourages patients to call us their "doctor". He has 35 years of experience so he is also a savior to me at times! There are times where I need to tell him that I am not physician-trained and he helps out and says that in a few years I won't say that anymore. Sometimes is nice to have an "overqualified" person to consult with.

I like the term APP though. After the AAFP statement it's a nice change.

[mammac5]

There have been several discussions here about the naming of our professions and they usually get pretty heated - we are all passionate about this, but we don't agree.

My own preference is to use NPP (non-physician practitioner) which is what CMS uses. It seems to me that CMS/government healthcare terms should be used across the board for the sake of clarity. NPP says exactly what we do and provides (especially for patients) a meaningful comparison of our profession - there is the physician and then there is the non-physician practitioner.

Also my opinion: I don't like advanced practice provider because I don't think we can define "advanced." If NPs and PAs are "advanced" then who are the healthcare providers who are NOT advanced? It seems to be a comparative term but there is nothing we clearing are compared to.

Likewise, I don't like midlevel provider. That implies that physicians are "upper level providers" and then there are "lower level providers" which I guess refers to RNs? Just not sure what that means. Or that it means anything.