Substitution of physicians by nurses in primary care

Substitution of physicians by nurses in primary care: A systematic review and meta-analysis is a recent study published as open access in BMC Health Services Research.  In many countries the substitution of physicians by nurses has become common, especially for chronic and multi-morbid patients. This research explored the evidence on the clinical effectiveness and care costs of this practice in primary care by reviewing and analysing the literature on the subject.  The results suggest that "Nurse-led care seems to have a positive effect on patient satisfaction, hospital admission and mortality".  Recommendations are made for further, more rigorous research on the subject.

BMC Health Services Research 2014, 14:214  doi:10.1186/1472-6963-14-214 Published: 12 May 2014