Provider Perceptions of Patient Centered Care within an Urgent Care System

Abstract

Patient Centered Care (PCC) is a salient factor in enhancing provider-patient communication, quality of care, the patient care experience and patient adherence. Inclusion of the psychosocial elements of care can positively affect the patient, their family and the provider. Additionally, engagement in the shared decision making process has similar positive impact on these factors. The aim of this project was evaluate the attitudes of Nurse Practitioners (NPs) verses Physician Assistants (PAs) and physicians (MDs) toward the provision of patient centered care in an urgent care environment. The study used a nonrandomized, non-experimental quantitative design with a convenience sample of Nurse Practitioner (NP), Physician Assistant (PA) and Physician providers (N=80) practicing within a large North Carolina urgent care system (for-profit). With IRB approval a Patient-Provider Orientation Scale ® was administered. Results were collected and analysis of variance and multiple linear regression data analysis was performed. This was to discern if these providers differed in their scores based off profession, age, gender or years since completing formal training. Results revealed that physicians scored highest among provider groups, followed by PAs then NPs. NPs scored high only on the caring subscale of the measurement tool and lowest on the sharing subscale. NPs in this cohort continue to exhibit caring attitudes, however are lacking in their attitudes toward sharing within the patient centered care concept. Gender, age and years since completing formal training had no statistically significant impact in the differing scores among these provider groups. Nursing educators and administrators can utilize this information to bolster patient centered care attitudes among NPs and may invariably impact PCC provision. Further research is needed to determine the rational for the differential attitude among these interprofessional groups and additional intercollaborative practice education may aid improvement of provider attitudes toward the provision of PCC.