Closing the Primary Care Gap.

PRIMARY health care; WAGE statistics; EMPLOYEE recruitment; LABOR demand; MEDICAL practice; NURSE practitioners; PHYSICIANS' assistants; HEALTH insurance reimbursement; ECONOMICS

The article reports on a shortage of primary care physicians which is expected to be seen in the U.S. by the year 2020. A discussion of the possible role that nurse practitioners and physician assistants may play in filling a gap in medical care services caused by the physician shortage is presented. A debate being seen within the U.S. health care sector over whether nurse practitioners and physician assistants should be used to fill the gap is discussed.