Collaborating With Advanced Practice Providers: Impact and Opportunity

Abstract

Although significant progress has been made in cancer care, access to coordinated, high-quality care across the cancer care continuum remains a challenge for many patients. With significant workforce shortages in oncology anticipated, physician assistants (PAs) and nurse practitioners (NPs)—known collectively as advanced practice providers (APPs)—are considered to be a part of the solution to bridging the gap between the supply of and demand for oncology services. APPs are integral to the provision of team-based care in oncology, and optimizing the roles of all members of the patient’s care team is vital to ensuring the teams are cost-effective and that each team member is performing at the functional level intended. Studies have shown significant patient, physician, and APP satisfaction with collaborative care models, and APPs are well positioned to enhance value for patients in the oncology setting. Understanding the full scope of APP impact can be challenging as it extends well beyond direct patient care. As rapid progress in cancer care continues, innovative approaches to care delivery will be necessary to ensure patients’ access. Effective oncologist–APP partnerships will be key to providing optimal, value-centered care to patients.