TY - JOUR
T1 - Medical Care by Nurses In an Internal Medicine Clinic
T2 - Analysis of Quality and Its Cost
AU - Spector, Reynold
AU - McGrath, Patricia
AU - Alpert, Joseph
AU - Cohen, Phin
AU - Aikins, Helen
PY - 1975/6/23
Y1 - 1975/6/23
N2 - The quality and cost of medical care provided by specially trained nurses in an internal medicine clinic was evaluated prospectively during a three-month period. Clinic physicians referrred patients to these nurses when they believed that the nurse could contribute to the patient's overall health care. Nurse care was judged to be adequate in dealing with 98% of old problems (defined by the physician) and 85% of new problems (detected by the nurse). Scheduled visits to the physician and unscheduled visits decreased significantly (P <.05) during the period of nurse care vs a control period, but the overall cost of health care per patient was increased significantly during the nurse care period (P <.01) because of a disproportionate increase in visits to the nurse. We conclude that nurse care was feasible and of adequate quality. However, it was not cost-effective.
AB - The quality and cost of medical care provided by specially trained nurses in an internal medicine clinic was evaluated prospectively during a three-month period. Clinic physicians referrred patients to these nurses when they believed that the nurse could contribute to the patient's overall health care. Nurse care was judged to be adequate in dealing with 98% of old problems (defined by the physician) and 85% of new problems (detected by the nurse). Scheduled visits to the physician and unscheduled visits decreased significantly (P <.05) during the period of nurse care vs a control period, but the overall cost of health care per patient was increased significantly during the nurse care period (P <.01) because of a disproportionate increase in visits to the nurse. We conclude that nurse care was feasible and of adequate quality. However, it was not cost-effective.
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U2 - 10.1001/jama.1975.03250120022016
DO - 10.1001/jama.1975.03250120022016
M3 - Article
C2 - 1173384
AN - SCOPUS:0016860181
SN - 0098-7484
VL - 232
SP - 1234
EP - 1237
JO - JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association
JF - JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association
IS - 12
ER -