title: Impact of nurse practitioners in primary healthcare fee-for-service practice settings.
abstract: The Nurse Practitioner (NP) role possesses a high value to Fee-For-Service (FFS) practices in the primary healthcare system. A case study evaluation of the NP roles in three FFS clinics showed positive impacts on patient satisfaction and physician experience. Physicians' FFS expenditures increased 12% after the NP implementation. Although NP services could provide cost savings to the acute care system, financial sustainability of the NP role in FFS practice remains a challenge.
authors.affiliation: Primary Healthcare, Chronic Disease Management & Rural Health Services, Island Health, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. lihong.sun@viha.ca.
authors.forename: Lihong
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Primary Healthcare, Chronic Disease Management & Rural Health Services, Island Health, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.
authors.forename: Rachel A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Jackson
authors.affiliation: Primary Healthcare, Chronic Disease Management & Rural Health Services, Island Health, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.
authors.forename: Heather
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dunne
authors.affiliation: Primary Healthcare, Chronic Disease Management & Rural Health Services, Island Health, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.
authors.forename: Victoria A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Power