title: Primary care outcomes in patients treated by nurse practitioners or physicians: two-year follow-up.
abstract: This study reports results of the 2-year follow-up phase of a randomized study comparing outcomes of patients assigned to a nurse practitioner or a physician primary care practice. In the sample of 406 adults, no differences were found between the groups in health status, disease-specific physiologic measures, satisfaction or use of specialist, emergency room or inpatient services. Physician patients averaged more primary care visits than nurse practitioner patients. The results are consistent with the 6-month findings and with a growing body of evidence that the quality of primary care delivered by nurse practitioners is equivalent to that by physicians.
authors.affiliation: Ohio State University, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Elizabeth R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Lenz
authors.forename: Mary O'Neil
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Mundinger
authors.forename: Robert L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Kane
authors.forename: Sarah C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Hopkins
authors.forename: Susan X
authors.initials: SX
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009519:New York City; D009722:Nurse Practitioners; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010820:Physicians; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000592:standards*; D011787:Quality of Health Care