This study looks at how much adding nurse practitioners to primary care teams increases access to care, particularly for patient populations that have traditionally faced barriers to access.
What is the research about?
The increasing prevalence of nurse practitioners (NPs) on primary care teams has the potential to improve access to care. This study will examine changes in access to care for new patients after a NP joins a primary care practice.
The research team will use a database of all-payer claims and electronic health record data from a nationwide sample of primary care clinicians to analyze access to care. This dataset allows the research team to see who provided the health care services in addition to who billed for the care; construct measures of access based on scheduling data; and compare patient care across all payers (including Medicaid patients and commercially insured patients).
To measure access, the research team will look at changes in the share of visits provided to new patients, with a focus on uninsured patients; patients on Medicaid; and patients who self-identify as Black, Indigenous, or as a person of color. The team will also examine changes to wait times for appointments, the share of visits provided on evenings and weekends, and the share of walk-in visits.
Results from this study are forthcoming. Publications from this grant will be posted here.
Primary Care Relevance
This study will help the field of primary care quantify how much adding an NP to a primary care team helps to improve access to care and reduce access disparities.
AHRQ Primary Care Priority Area
Research to improve primary care, including regarding quality, access and affordability, the workforce, care delivery models, financing, digital healthcare, person-centeredness, and health equity.
