PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS AND NURSE PRACTITIONERS IN-HOSPITAL OUTPATIENT DEPARTMENTS, 1993-1994

Objective. To describe the characteristics of visits to physician assi stants (PAs) and nurse practitioners (NPs) in hospital outpatient depa rtments in the United States. Methods, Data from the 1993 and 1994 Nat ional Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Surveys were used to compare ho spital outpatient department visits in which the patient was seen by a PA or NP, or both, with outpatient visits to ail practitioners. Resul ts, An average of 64 million annual outpatient visits were made in 199 3-1994, and patients were seen by PAs, NPs, or both, at 8% of these vi sits. PA-NP visits were more likely than total visits to occur in the Mid west, in non-urban areas, and in obstetric-gynecology clinics, and a higher proportion involved patients younger than age 25. Smaller di fferences were found between PA-NP visits and total outpatient visits in ''reason for visit,'' ''principal diagnosis,'' and ''medication pre scribed.'' Conclusion, Beyond the care they provide in physicians' off ices and other non-hospital settings, PAs and NPs make an important co ntribution to ambulatory health care delivery in hospital outpatient d epartments.