When survey respondents were asked which provider — a physician, physician assistant or nurse practitioner — they would prefer to see, 50.3 percent opted for a physician, according to the article.
However, when respondents were presented with a scenario of seeing a PA or NP today as opposed to a physician tomorrow for a worsening cough, 59.6 percent chose to be seen by a PA or NP. Similar scenarios, where patients could see a PA or NP sooner than seeing a physician, produced similar results, according to the Health Affairs article.
The findings come at a time when many states, including Missouri and California, are considering expanding or already expanded PA and/or NP scope of care to help supplement care in the face of physician shortages.
Survey data was based on responses from 2,053 adults who indicated that they or a physician believed they needed medical care at least once in the past year, according to the article.
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