Growing Number of Nurse Practitioners Providing Primary Care Offset Physician Shortages in Underserved Communities
By Patrick Broadwater
Monday, January 14, 2019
A growing number of nurse practitioners are providing primary care in low-income and rural areas where physician supply is low, according to findings from a study led by University of Rochester School of Nursing researchers.
The study, released this month in the Journal of the American Medical Association, examined data trends in 50 states and Washington DC from 2010 to 2016 and charted a narrowing gap between the supply of primary care nurse practitioners and physicians, particularly in low-income and rural communities.
“The growing NP supply in these areas is offsetting low physician supply and thus may increase primary care capacity in underserved communities,” said Ying Xue, DNSc, RN, associate professor at the UR School of Nursing, who was the paper’s lead author.