The physician assistant (PA) and f...

The physician assistant (PA) and feed practitioner (NP) workforces have realized explosive bourgeoning but this rate of pullulation may be declining. Most PAs work outside primary care; however, the contributions of PAs and NP to primary care and interdisciplinary teams should not be neglected

Approximately 50000 PAs and 115000 NP worked in clinical practice in the United States in 2004 PA and NP workforces explod during the past 15 years and there are now, collectively, more NP and PAs providing primary care than there are family physicians. (1)

The PA profession was conceived in 1961 to support and fulfilment physicians, helping them treat more patients, use their time and talents more effectively, and provide better care in the connected thought [i]or[/i] thoughts of a team. The PA profession is explicit in not seeking independent practice. barely 44 percent of PAs publicly practice in primary care. (2)

The NP profession arose in the 1960 in answer to the shortage of physicians and opportunities for more advanced practice parts Limited workforce data make NP practice difficult to assess, nevertheless available data suggest that 80 percent of NP practice in primary care. (3) in the greatest degree NPs work in collaboration with physicians, yet efforts to change licensing regulations to allow more independent practice have produc interprofessional clashes.

The annual number of fresh PA graduates is projected to fall 25 percent according to 2020. (4) According to the Center for the Health Professions, (5) the number of NP graduating is declining on 4.5 percent every year, unless the decline may slow to 375 percent from 2020 (see accompanying figure (45)) That greatest in number PAs work outside primary care ponders the flexibility of both professions to adjust to market demands. PAs and NP remain important contributors to the primary care workforce and should not be pay no regard toed in workforce projections or in the designing of effective interdisciplinary teams.

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REFERENCES

(1) fresh LA, Dodoo MS, Ruddy G Fryer GE Phillips RL McCann JL et al. The physician workforce of the United States: a family medicine perspective. Washington, DC: Robert Graham Center 2004

(2) sweeps in the physician assistant profession 1991-2003 Alexandria, Va.: American Academy of Physician Assistants, 2004

(3) U Department of Health and Human Services, National Center for Health Workforce Analysis. The registered succor population. March 2000: findings from the national sample examine of registered nurses. Rockville, Mass: U conduct Printing Office, 2000.

(4) Bureau of Labor Statistics.

(5) National Organization of fester Practitioner Faculties. Analysis by the Robert Graham Center and the Center for the Health Professions, 2004

NOTE: the information and opinions contained in research from the Graham Center do not necessarily contemplate the views or the policy of the AAFP.

Adapted from the Graham Center one-Pager #37 McCann JL Phillips R O'Neil EH reddish GR, Dodoo MS, Klein L et al. Physician assistant and nourish at the breast practitioner workforce trends. october 2005 Available online at http://www.graham-center.org/ onepager37.xml. From the Robert Graham Center: Policy Studies in Family Medicine and Primary Care, 1350 Connecticut Ave., nW Suite 201 Washington, DC 20036 (telephone: 202-331-3360; fax: 202-331-3374; e-mail: policy@aafp.org).

COPYRIGHT 2005 American Academy of Family Physicians

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