AANP: Five Health Care Trends to Watch in 2022

AUSTIN, Texas, Jan. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Nurse practitioners (NPs) are trusted health care providers. They are on the forefront of education and innovation of new and effective models of care, promoting health and ensuring patients have access to the highest quality health care. As the NP profession looks ahead, the American Association of Nurse Practitioners^® (AANP) has identified five key health care provider trends to watch. 

"As we prepare for the year ahead, it is clear patient demand for high-quality NP care will only continue to grow — with NPs topping the list of the most in-demand health professionals of the next decade, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics," said April N. Kapu, DNP, APRN, ACNP-BC, FAANP, FCCM, FAAN, president of AANP.

"NPs will continue to deliver care in nearly every health care setting, including homes, hospitals, clinics and, increasingly, via telehealth — a reflection of the exponential rise of virtual care. As part of their commitment to primary and preventive care, NPs will remain at the forefront of COVID-19 testing, treatment and vaccination, while working to address other pressing health care issues," said Kapu. "States that provide patients with full and direct access to NP care consistently rank among the healthiest in the nation, while those restricting patient choice and access to NP care rank among the least healthy nationwide. In the coming legislative session, with strong support from policy organizations including the National Academy of Medicine, we predict a tipping point where states will remove regulatory barriers that limit patient access to NP care."

The American Association of Nurse Practitioners^® (AANP) is the largest professional membership organization for nurse practitioners (NPs) of all specialties. It represents the interests of the more than 325,000 licensed NPs in the U.S. AANP provides legislative leadership at the local, state and national levels, advancing health policy; promoting excellence in practice, education and research; and establishing standards that best serve NPs' patients and other health care consumers. As The Voice of the Nurse Practitioner^®, AANP represents the interests of NPs as providers of high-quality, cost-effective, comprehensive, patient-centered health care. To locate an NP in your community, visit npfinder.com. For more information about NPs, visit aanp.org. For COVID-19 information from AANP, visit aanp.org/COVID19.

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SOURCE American Association of Nurse Practitioners