The Costs and Effectiveness of Nurse Practitioners (Part 3 of 4)

The concept of using nonphysician health professionals to perform basic medical services traditionally provided by physicians emerged in the mid-1960’s amidst widespread concern over a perceived physician shortage. Variously referred to as new health practitioners, mid-level practitioners, or physician extenders, they were seen as a way to increase the availability of health care services, particularly in primary care. Although no single term adequately represents the categories of professionals who comprise this group, the term physician extender is used in this case study when general reference is being made to them. This term encompasses nurse practitioners (NPs), physicians’ assistants (PAs), and Medex, a group of former military corpsmen who apply their skills in civilian life.