The Rheumatologist
COVID-19 News
  • Connect with us:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Feed
  • Home
  • Conditions
    • Rheumatoid Arthritis
    • SLE (Lupus)
    • Crystal Arthritis
      • Gout Resource Center
    • Spondyloarthritis
    • Osteoarthritis
    • Soft Tissue Pain
    • Scleroderma
    • Vasculitis
    • Systemic Inflammatory Syndromes
    • Guidelines
  • Resource Centers
    • Ankylosing Spondylitis Resource Center
    • Gout Resource Center
    • Rheumatoid Arthritis Resource Center
    • Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Resource Center
  • Drug Updates
    • Biologics & Biosimilars
    • DMARDs & Immunosuppressives
    • Topical Drugs
    • Analgesics
    • Safety
    • Pharma Co. News
  • Professional Topics
    • Ethics
    • Legal
    • Legislation & Advocacy
    • Career Development
      • Certification
      • Education & Training
    • Awards
    • Profiles
    • President’s Perspective
    • Rheuminations
  • Practice Management
    • Billing/Coding
    • Quality Assurance/Improvement
    • Workforce
    • Facility
    • Patient Perspective
    • Electronic Health Records
    • Apps
    • Information Technology
    • From the College
    • Multimedia
      • Audio
      • Video
  • Resources
    • Issue Archives
    • ACR Convergence
      • Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Resource Center
      • Rheumatoid Arthritis Resource Center
      • Gout Resource Center
      • Abstracts
      • Meeting Reports
      • ACR Convergence Home
    • American College of Rheumatology
    • ACR ExamRheum
    • Research Reviews
    • ACR Journals
      • Arthritis & Rheumatology
      • Arthritis Care & Research
      • ACR Open Rheumatology
    • Rheumatology Image Library
    • Treatment Guidelines
    • Rheumatology Research Foundation
    • Events
  • About Us
    • Mission/Vision
    • Meet the Authors
    • Meet the Editors
    • Contribute to The Rheumatologist
    • Subscription
    • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Search
You are here: Home / Articles / Why & How to Add Advanced Practice Clinicians to Your Practice

Why & How to Add Advanced Practice Clinicians to Your Practice

September 20, 2018 • By Kelly Tyrrell

  • Tweet
  • Email
Print-Friendly Version / Save PDF

Out of necessity he turned to APCs, figuring out ways to utilize their abilities to enhance his practice. “They have absolutely made our practice better, and my patients have embraced them,” Dr. King says. “In order to see as many patients as we do, it’s a vital part of our practice.”

You Might Also Like
  • Advanced Practice Clinicians May Help Close the Workforce Gap
  • When to Add a Rheumatologist to Your Practice
  • Nurse Practitioners Provide Advanced Care & Support
Explore This Issue
September 2018
Also By This Author
  • ACR Advocates for Access to Viscosupplementation for OA

He works with two nurse practitioners currently, and the practice schedules 75 patients and sees six new patients each day. “I see between 50 and 55 patients a day myself,” Dr. King says.

ad goes here:advert-1
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

The key, he says, is to utilize health professionals well. For example, he looks for people he can trust to perform at the highest levels of their skill sets. He trains his nurse practitioners for at least six months, having them spend time at his side as he sees patients. He gives lunchtime lectures on medication safety and disease management, and he entrusts his clinicians to engage in self-study.

“They take advantage of the rheumatology training modules through the ARHP,” says Dr. King, who also requires all of his providers to join the ARHP and encourages them to get involved in committees and other opportunities.

ad goes here:advert-2
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

“The ARHP is a value-added enterprise; our APCs get much more than they give,” he says.

Lessons Learned

Dr. King shares some of the other lessons he believes account for his practice’s successful integration of APCs. One of the biggest, he says, is to not be in a hurry: “The rheumatology learning curve is very steep.”

Other lessons include:

ad goes here:advert-3
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE
  1. Plot out a training course for each provider;
  2. Make sure every patient knows they’re not being abandoned. “They should know you are still the captain of the ship and that you communicate with your APCs on a regular basis,” Dr. King says. He also tries to ensure that no patient sees a nurse practitioner two visits in a row and that the majority of new patients see him first. Those who do not are guaranteed to see him on their second visit or follow-up;
  3. Place all patients on the physician’s schedule and use APCs as necessary, while also reassuring patients they will receive the same level of service or care regardless of who cares for them; and
  4. Decide on a specified number of patients the physician will see in a day to balance that against other duties.

In addition, Dr. King has engaged his APCs in scoring referrals from other providers in the community, sending referrals back on patients who have not had a history taken, a physical exam performed and labs and/or X-rays completed.

Pages: 1 2 3 | Single Page

Filed Under: Practice Management, Workforce Tagged With: Advanced Practice Clinicians, nurse practitioner, referrals, workforce shortageIssue: September 2018

You Might Also Like:
  • Advanced Practice Clinicians May Help Close the Workforce Gap
  • When to Add a Rheumatologist to Your Practice
  • Nurse Practitioners Provide Advanced Care & Support
  • The 2014 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting Offers Programs for Rheumatology Clinicians, Researchers, Practice Management Professionals

Simple Tasks

Learn more about the ACR’s public awareness campaign and how you can get involved. Help increase visibility of rheumatic diseases and decrease the number of people left untreated.

Visit the Simple Tasks site »

ACR Convergence

Don’t miss rheumatology’s premier scientific meeting for anyone involved in research or the delivery of rheumatologic care or services.

Visit the ACR Convergence site »

American College of Rheumatology

Visit the official website for the American College of Rheumatology.

Visit the ACR »

The Rheumatologist newsmagazine reports on issues and trends in the management and treatment of rheumatic diseases. The Rheumatologist reaches 11,500 rheumatologists, internists, orthopedic surgeons, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses, and other healthcare professionals who practice, research, or teach in the field of rheumatology.

About Us / Contact Us / Advertise / Privacy Policy / Terms of Use

  • Connect with us:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Feed

Copyright © 2006–2021 American College of Rheumatology. All rights reserved.

ISSN 1931-3268 (print)
ISSN 1931-3209 (online)

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.
This site uses cookies: Find out more.