By Genevieve Swenson, FNP-C

It is becoming increasingly clear that the US healthcare system is desperately in need of reform. Data from the Primary Care Collaborative shows that the US is facing a primary care physician shortage of anywhere from 21,400 to 55,200 by 2033. According to AAMC President and CEO, David J. Skorton, M.D.: “The challenge of having enough doctors to serve our communities will get even worse as the nation’s population continues to grow and age.”

Nurse practitioners (NPs) have the potential to fill these gaps, as research has shown that patients under the care of NPs have fewer unnecessary hospital readmissions, fewer potentially preventable hospitalizations, higher patient satisfaction and fewer unnecessary emergency room visits than those under the care of physicians. Despite this, about half the states in the US have still not granted full and unrestricted practice authority for nurse practitioners. Granting this authority could help to reduce the bureaucracy and get more NPs out to high need areas, allowing greater access to care.
It is estimated that the United States spends $3.6 trillion annually on healthcare. Of that amount a mere 3% is directed toward public health and prevention. In order to truly cut down the cost of healthcare in the US, which should drive down costs to the consumer, we must move from intervention to prevention of chronic disease. In doing this, it is important to distinguish preventive care - care that prevents an issue from occurring at all - from mere screenings that simply establish if disease is present.

While screenings such as mammograms are valid, they are not a substitute for preventive care. In fact, it can be misleading to patients leading them to believe that routine screenings are all they need to do to prevent disease. In fact, fewer than 10 percent of US adults ages thirty-five and older received the high-priority, appropriate clinical preventive services recommended for them. The lack of preventive care directly impacts healthcare costs. More than 75% of healthcare costs are due to chronic conditions and 50% of all Americans have a chronic condition.

The primary care physician shortage is one barrier that hinders patients from receiving preventive care. Nurse practitioners can bridge that gap. There are 355,000 nurse practitioners today and it is estimated to grow by 46% between 2021 and 2031. These NPs are performing more than a billion patient visits annually. According to the AANP: “As clinicians that blend clinical expertise in diagnosing and treating health conditions with an added emphasis on disease prevention and health management, (nurse practitioners) bring a comprehensive perspective and personal touch to healthcare.”

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