In order to address a looming physician shortage, many healthcare providers are expanding the duties of nurse practitioners, giving them a more active role in patient care. However, NP's assuming some physician responsibilities complicates electronic health record documentation and could lead to faulty billing, according to a study in the Journal of Professional Nursing.
Researchers interviewed 16 NPs in Massachusetts, a state that allows NPs to provide primary care services. However, the researchers realized most of the healthcare organizations employing the NPs listed a physician as the patient's primary provider on the EHR.
Researches warned allowing the EHR to attribute NP's work to physicians could lead to fraud suits, as Medicare and other payers reimburse at higher rates for services provided by a physician. Attributing everything to the physician also leads to less transparency and accountability for both the NP and physician, according to the study.
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