Nurse Practitioners Are the Rx for Health Care

The studies cited in your article about the quality of care by nurse practitioners looked at nurse practitioners and physician assistants and came to the conclusion that both professionals provide quality primary care equivalent to that of a physician.

At a time when the health-care system is failing, nurse practitioners and physician assistants provide existing models of a way to provide improved access to quality care at significant cost savings to society. It really makes no sense to spend money for eight or 10 years of training when the same quality care can be provided after only two or three years.

Perhaps it is time that we addressed the question of who should be trained to provide what type of care.

FREDDI I. SEGAL-GIDAN

Manhattan Beach