A Comparative Analysis of Nurse Practitioner, Physician Associate, and Physician Malpractice Risk

Candello, CRICO’s national medical malpractice data collaborative, analyzed over 135,000 cases from 2012 to 2021 to assess risk related to the growing number of nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician associates (PAs). The study found no increase in the proportion of malpractice claims involving NPs and PAs, and no significant difference in risk compared to physicians. However, cases involving multiple providers were more likely to result in payment and had higher average payouts.

Full-text Citation

Higden J, Tremont H, Paskavitz M. A comparative analysis of nurse practitioner, physician associate, and physician malpractice risk. Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners. 2025 Jun 1;37(6):323-326. doi:10.1097/JXX.0000000000001119

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