Primary Care Outcomes in Patients Treated by Nurse Practitioners or Physicians: A Randomized Trial

Nurse practitioners may deliver the same level of care as a primary care physician. Researchers randomly assigned 1,316 patients to see a primary care physician or a nurse practitioner. No significant differences in health care outcome was seen between the two groups six months or one year after the visit. Patients who saw the nurse practitioner were generally as satisfied with the care they received as those who saw a primary care physician.