How Does Access to a Nurse Practitioner
Differ From a Working with a Physician?
In this video, Maggie Lewis, NP discusses how patient access to a Nurse Practitioner differs from a Physician.
What is Different About Your Approach to Patients Compared to a Primary Care Physician?
Maggie Lewis, Nurse Practitioner
I would say the difference, is that we have the time to sit and listen to the patients. The physicians in primary care have 10 to 15-minute appointments a piece, where we’re spending 30 minutes to an hour with a patient. I joke and tell my patients all the time that you’re gonna know more about my family than you probably ever wanted to know, but I’m gonna know a lot about yours too. But it’s pretty personal and I think it makes a better primary care experience for the patient.
Evaluate Practice Performance Metrics for eConsult Programs
Practice performance metrics are in focus whenever a new tool is introduced to improve patient care. In this series, we’ll focus on practice success and patient care when adopting or maintaining an eConsult program. Many of these strategies apply to increasing the adoption of any new technology or program.
There are a few common challenges to effective care and practice success:
- Primary care providers lack the tools and time to help patients navigate care. The average PCP sees between 10-20 patients per day. Patient care is their goal. Adding new technology adds to their workload.
- At the same time, not getting specialist advice for the patient is creating additional work for PCPs. More than 40% of referrals never get scheduled. That means more work for the PCP as patients boomerang back to the primary care setting with the same untreated condition.
- 25% of our healthcare costs are for unnecessary tests and treatments.