Approximately 89% of advanced practice providers in the U.S. say they should be granted full independent prescribing authority, according to a new survey from provider insights company Sermo.
The survey, published June 7, polled more than 430 physician assistants and nurse practitioners and found that 97% believe they are key to addressing nationwide physician shortages.
The Association of American Medical Colleges predicts that the U.S. will face a shortage of up to 86,000 physicians by 2036.
About 34% of advanced practice providers are currently the most involved in the ongoing condition management of the patient journey, while 32% are most involved in the treatment decision-making stage and 23% are most involved in the diagnosis stage of the patient journey, according to the survey.
Additionally, 74% of advanced practice providers consider themselves "early adopters" of new-to-market pharmaceutical products.
Advanced practice providers reported that physicians can help them most day to day by fostering a collaborative approach to patient management, sharing knowledge and expertise in their specialty area and providing regular feedback on patient care provided.