Commentaries on health services research

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

1-1-2014

Journal

Journal of the American Academy of Physician Assistants

Volume

27

Issue

6

DOI

10.1097/01.JAA.0000446989.87305.b9

Abstract

The US military health system, which is responsible for providing care to active and retired members of the military and their dependents, faces challenges in delivering cost-effective, high-quality primary care while maintaining a provider workforce capable of meeting both peacetime and wartime needs. The military health system has implemented workforce management strategies to address these challenges, including "medical home" teams for primary care and other strategies that expand the roles of physician assistants (PAs), nurse practitioners (NPs), and medical technicians. Because these workforce strategies have been implemented relatively recently, evidence of their effectiveness is limited. If proven successful, they could serve as models for the civilian sector. However, because the military health service model features a broad mix of provider types, changes to civilian scope-of-practice regulations for PAs and NPs would be necessary before the civilian provider mix could replicate that of the military health system. Mundell BF, Friedberg MW, Eibner C, Mundell WC. US military primary care: problems, solutions, and implications for civilian medicine. Health Aff (Millwood). 2013;32(11):1949-1955. © 2014 American Academy of Physician Assistants.

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