AMA Takes Major Step That Could Reshape Patient Care Nationwide
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- Key Point: The AMA House of Delegates voted to fund independent studies comparing outcomes between physician-led care and autonomous non-physician practitioner care models.
- Why it Matters: Legislators frequently rely on claims regarding care equivalency when considering scope-of-practice expansions.
- Impact on Patients and Practices: Research will examine patient safety, quality, utilization, access, cost, and health outcomes.
For physicians navigating increasing workforce pressures and ongoing scope-of-practice debates, ensuring that healthcare policy is guided by objective evidence remains critically important. At the 2026 American Medical Association House of Delegates meeting, delegates approved a measure directing the AMA to fund independent, academically rigorous studies comparing patient outcomes between physician-led care models and autonomous non-physician practitioner care models.
Supporters of the measure argued that lawmakers are frequently presented with claims suggesting nurse practitioners and physician assistants provide care equivalent to physicians in all settings. Delegates emphasized that many existing studies involve limited clinical scenarios, physician oversight, or low-acuity patient populations and may not fully reflect the complexity of independent practice.
The newly approved research initiative will focus on patient safety, quality of care, healthcare utilization, access, costs, and overall health outcomes. Findings are intended to be developed through independent academic researchers and published in peer-reviewed scientific journals.
For MSSNY and New York physicians, this effort aligns with longstanding advocacy supporting physician-led, team-based care. As healthcare delivery evolves, policymakers, regulators, and patients deserve access to objective data that accurately evaluates how different care models affect outcomes.
Your colleagues across New York understand that patient safety must remain the foundation of healthcare policy. MSSNY continues to advocate for evidence-based decision-making that protects patients while supporting high-quality, coordinated care delivered by physician-led teams.
AMA to Fund Studies Comparing Care From Physicians vs NPs, PAs (Clark, Medscape, 6/10).
