Acute Care Use Among Patients With Multiple Chronic Conditions Receiving Care From Nurse Practitioner Practices in Health Professional Shortage Areas

Abstract

Background: Patients with multiple chronic conditions often have many care plans, polypharmacy, and unrelieved symptoms that contribute to high emergency department and hospital use. High-quality primary care delivered in practices that employ nurse practitioners can help prevent the need for such acute care services. However, such practices located in primary care health professional shortage areas face challenges caring for these patients because of higher workloads and fewer resources.

Objective: We examined differences in hospitalization and emergency department use among patients with multiple chronic conditions who receive care from practices that employ nurse practitioners in health professional shortage areas compared to practices that employ nurse practitioners in non-health professional shortage areas.

Methods: We performed an analysis of Medicare claims, merged with Health Resources and Services Administration data on health professional shortage area status in five states. Our sample included 394,424 community-dwelling Medicare beneficiaries aged ≥65 years, with at least two of 15 common chronic conditions who received care in 779 practices that employ nurse practitioners. We used logistic regression to assess the relationship between health professional shortage area status and emergency department visits or hospitalizations.

Results: We found a higher likelihood of emergency department visits among patients in health professional shortage areas compared to those in non-health professional shortage areas and no difference in the likelihood of hospitalization.

Discussion: Emergency department use differences exist among older adults with multiple chronic conditions receiving care in practices that employ nurse practitioners in health professional shortage areas, compared to those in non-health professional shortage areas. To address this disparity, the health professional shortage area program should invest in recruiting and retaining nurse practitioners to health professional shortage areas to ease workforce shortages.