The Battle of Competition vs. Collaboration with Midlevels is All Over the Media Now
We at Authentic Medicine have been highlightin how midlevels continue to claim that they are “the same” as physicians for decades. Yes, decades. You can search this site. The issue is what was once a collaboration now has become competition due to the aggressiveness of the AANP. Plain and simple. Now the media is getting involved. Here are two stories:
Medicine without doctors? State laws are changing who treats patients. (Washington Post).
Physician assistant, nurse practitioner or doctor: What patients should know (USA Today)
The USA Today states:
Data shows patients have similar health outcomes regardless of whether they see a physician, physician assistant or nurse practitioner in primary care settings, but the jury is still out in other settings, like emergency departments and specialty care.
This is blatantly untrue. I guess they didn’t spend the time looking at the Hattiesburg study. In fact, the USA Today article is a farce and a plant for the AANP. The Post article at least had Dr. Rebekah Bernard’s views stated clearly and she represents what all doctors are thinking.
This battle will continue unless we continue to push back and point out the limitations of 500 clinical hours of training by NPs compared to the 20,000 hours by doctors. Training and education matter. End of story,
Or is it.
Never forget that this competition was under the guise of collaboration and care for the rural population. That was a lie.
What usually happens with a collaborating N.P. is the administration sends all the “easy” cases to them and that leaves the
tougher cases to the doc which take more time and never is compensated for enough. I know, I’ve been there but I will say the N.P. I was assigned to was very competent and when she came to me with a question on a patient, I knew I’d have to put my thinking cap on. My income did drop though and it was due to the fact of seeing nothing but difficult cases. I “upcoded” as much as I legally could but lacking “sore throats and earaches” interspersed made every day a challenge.
So glad to be retired now and don’t miss office, hospital practice and taking call anymore.
That B.S. of a retired doc missing medicine is baloney. All of them I know are happy they are done with it!!