Comparing Three Types of Primary Care Providers

Diabetes patients had similar outcomes regardless of their PCPs.

To address the growing shortfall of primary care physicians, nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs) could serve as primary care providers (PCPs) if outcomes are similar across provider types. Investigators compared intermediate care quality outcomes — glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA_1c), systolic blood pressure (SBP), and LDL cholesterol levels — for 368,000 adults with pharmaceutically managed diabetes who were seen at roughly 600 Veterans Affairs primary care clinics. Patients were assigned according to which PCP type they usually visited.

Propensity-score adjusted analysis revealed similar diabetes care quality outcomes in patients cared for by physicians, NPs, and PAs — including mean HbA_1c (7.6%), mean SBP (133 mm Hg), and…

Reviewing Author

Daniel D. Dressler, MD, MSc, SFHM, FACP

Disclosures

RoyaltiesMcGraw-Hill; Elsevier

Editorial BoardsMedical Clinics of North America; Caribbean Medical Journal International Advisory Panel (2021–2026)

Daniel D. Dressler, MD, MSc, SFHM, FACP

Disclosures

RoyaltiesMcGraw-Hill; Elsevier

Editorial BoardsMedical Clinics of North America; Caribbean Medical Journal International Advisory Panel (2021–2026)

Comparing Three Types of Primary Care Providers

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Reviewing Author