Pediatricians-back to the hospitals?

I have heard a lot of weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth in the primary care community about the encroachment of the pediatric field by nurse practitioners.  Editorials and controversy abound.  Each side states a clear and convincing case.  Many of the physician- only websites I frequent complain incessantly about the demise of outpatient medicine in general.  The nurse practitioner proponents have their chorus of believers.  I don’t really see what the problem is.  I say let ‘em have it.  Ninety-five percent of what is done each day can be and is performed by advanced practice nurses in offices all over this fair land.  Why not let them have the domain of outpatient pediatrics?  Why not let them deal with all the mundane trivialities of daily pediatric medicine?  The runny noses, the rashes, the behavioral complaints, the nighttime feeding questions?  Maybe it is time for the pediatricians to go back to the hospitals from whence they came and be in the business of treating actual sick children?  That is the model for pediatrics in Great Britain.  General practitioners see children in the outpatient setting and the pediatrician is a consultant and hospitalist, called upon when necessary.  I will grant that this would lead to much less demand for pediatricians, but that isn’t necessarily a negative.  I think the U.S. model is unsustainable and the need for “real” pediatricians isn’t as great as we might think.  

Dr. K 

Comments

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The doctor specialist supporter have their refrain of followers. I never really see what the issue is. I would like to say many of what is done each day can be and is conducted by innovative exercise medical professionals in workplaces all over this reasonable area.