Primary Care Delivery Changes as Nonphysician Clinicians Gain Independence

Current Clinical Issues21 October 2008Primary Care Delivery Changes as Nonphysician Clinicians Gain IndependenceJennifer Fisher WilsonJennifer Fisher WilsonSearch for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-149-8-200810210-00025 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail States across the United States have expanded health insurance coverage to more of their uninsured residents, resulting in at least 1 million more people having health insurance in 2007 than in 2006. These state-level health reforms should result in improved health care for a greater portion of the population. But the shortage of physicians, at least in some areas, has raised questions about whether the increased demand for care can be met. One study found that about 56 million U.S. residents do not have a regular source of health care because of physician shortages in their areas (1). Some patients ...References1. National Association of Community Health Centers, The Robert Graham Center. Access Denied: A Look at America's Medically Disenfranchised. Released April 2007. Accessed at www.nachc.org/client/documents/research/Access_Denied.pdf on 10 September 2008. Google Scholar2. Massachusetts Medical Society 2007 Workforce Study. Released June 2007. Accessed at www.massmed.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NewsandPublications/ResearchReportsStudies/PhysicianWorkforceStudy/2007MMSWorkforceStudy_full.pdf on 10 September 2008. Google Scholar3. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Registered Nurse Population: Findings from the 2004 National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses. Released 2004. Accessed at bhpr.hrsa.gov/healthworkforce/rnsurvey04/preface.htm on 10 September 2008. Google Scholar4. Hooker RS. 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