Many U.S. adults confused about primary care, study shows

 Adults in the United States have a limited understanding of the basic duties that nurse practitioners and physician assistants can perform, a new study suggests.

The study is available online and will be published in the November issue in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.

"Odds are, if you are a new patient and have been to 'the doctor's office' recently for a primary care checkup, it might not have been a doctor you actually saw," said lead author Evan K. Perrault, assistant professor of health communication in the Brian Lamb School of Communication at Purdue University. "As fewer medical students enter primary care as their specialties, other care providers like nurse practitioners and physician assistants are having to fill the void."

The Association of American Medical Colleges estimates that by 2030 there will be a shortfall of up to 49,300 in the U.S.

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