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Growth in retail-based clinics after nurse practitioner scope of practice reform

2016; Elsevier BV; Volume: 65; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/j.outlook.2016.11.001

1528-3968

J. Margo Brooks Carthon, Therese Sammarco, Darcy Pancir, Jesse Chittams, Kelly L. Wiltse Nicely,

Healthcare Policy and Management

Retail clinics are largely staffed by nurse practitioners (NPs) and are a popular destination for nonemergent care.We examined if there was a relationship between NP practice regulations and retail clinic growth after the passage of a scope of practice (SOP) reform bill in Pennsylvania.General linear regression models were used to compare retail clinic openings in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Maryland between 2006 and 2013.From 2006 to 2008, Pennsylvania experienced a significant growth rate in net retail clinic openings per capita (p = .046), whereas New Jersey and Maryland experienced no significant increase (p = .109 and .053, respectively). From 2009 to 2013, Pennsylvania opened 0.20 clinics (p = .129), New Jersey opened 0.23 clinics (p = .086), and Maryland opened 0.34 clinics per capita per year (p = .017).Our study of three states with varying levels of SOP restraint reveals an association between relaxation of practice regulations and retail clinic growth.