Sunday, August 18, 2013

Does this mean that Medical Doctors may becoming scarce in Our future?

Obamacare wouldn't have something to do with it....would it?
Nurse practitioners in five states are fighting for the right to treat patients without oversight from doctors, as they can in many parts of the country. 
The battle is particularly pitched in California, where a bill that would let some nurse practitioners do their work independently passed a key legislative committee this week. California doctors strenuously oppose the idea, arguing that it could jeopardize patient safety. 
Other nonphysician health professionals around the country also are lobbying to expand their roles, citing the shortage of doctors in some areas and the expected onslaught of millions of patients newly insured under the Affordable Care Act next year.
NPs, as nurse practitioners are known, say they are particularly positioned to fill such gaps. Unlike physician assistants, who are licensed to practice under a doctor's supervision, NPs—who have more training and education than registered nurses—can serve as patients' primary health providers. NPs are trained to examine, diagnose and treat patients, manage acute and chronic illnesses and can prescribe medications, including controlled substances, in all 50 states.
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But states vary widely on how much physician oversight NPs must have. In 17 states and the District of Columbia, NPs can set up practices and treat patients autonomously. Twelve states require them to be supervised, to varying degrees, by a physician or other health authority. 
In the remaining 21 states, NPs must have a "collaborative" agreement with a physician. Those can vary widely, from stipulating what percentage of patient charts a doctor might review to which tests NPs can order. Tay Kopanos, a vice president at the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, likens the situation to driver's licenses: "In some states, you have a full license. In others, someone can dictate the routes you have to take."
Read the full story HERE.

Call me OLD FASHION. But if you-re not a Doctor....You-re not diagnosing me.

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