One of the great blessings of technological advancement is that many tasks that once required expertise have become routine. While this change is frequently recognized in industries like manufacturing, fewer people consider the implications for heavily regulated industries like healthcare. Despite technological advancements, regulations restrict healthcare providers from providing care to the full extent of their capabilities.
The United States is facing a worsening shortage of doctors, particularly in rural areas. Many states restrict non-physician professionals’ ability to provide basic care instead of recognizing how technology has made many tasks routine.
State scope of practice (SOP) laws define what each healthcare profession can do. Intended to protect patients by being overly restrictive, these regulations can drive healthcare costs up and reduce access. Services such as basic diagnosis and prescriptions, which once required a doctor, can now be reliably done by other trained healthcare professionals, expanding healthcare access for patients.
Read full article here
Justin Leventhal is a senior policy analyst for the American Consumer Institute, a nonprofit education and research organization. For more information about the Institute, follow us on X @ConsumerPal.