Improve patient access management and support advanced practitioners during the healthcare staffing crisis

Patient access management is a high priority currently, due to patients deferring care during COVID and a short supply of providers. Modern Healthcare reports that wellness visits declined 69% during 2020. With a flood of patients that are overdue for care, states are turning to nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs) to improve access to primary care.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, of the 4.5 million people who quit their jobs in November 2021, 6.4% were healthcare and social assistance workers. That’s one of the highest quit rates in any industry, second only to accommodation and food services. Burnout rates among healthcare workers are also skyrocketing. Major news outlets have reported that many doctors are exiting the field completely.

This exodus comes at a time of high demand for appointments, with rebounding patient volumes in hospitals and health systems from people who put off care earlier in the pandemic. As healthcare providers leave the workforce, the ability for APs to provider unrestricted care is expanding to fill the gap.

In 2020, California tackled the primary care provider shortage by passing a law to allow nurse practitioners to practice without physician supervision after meeting certain criteria. The timely passage of this legislation will help address an expected shortage of more than 4,000 primary care physicians in the state and reduce the number of patients waiting for care because of the pandemic.

Advanced practitioners (APs) in 25 states and the District of Columbia care for patients with minimal limitation or supervision by physicians. In these states, NPs and PAs are supervised by a physician for a defined period of time before being able to practice independently. In states that limit the ability of APs to provide care, physician supervision is generally required for the duration of the AP’s career.