This year saw hundreds of bills introduced across the nation to inappropriately expand scope of practice for nonphysician providers such as nurse practitioners, advanced practice registered nurses, optometrists, psychologists, naturopaths, pharmacists, physician assistants, athletic trainers and—yes—even music therapists.

New research, some aided by the AMA Health Workforce Mapper but much it conducted by physicians and experts outside the AMA, is reshaping our understanding of how scope of practice expansions affect health system costs, care quality and more.

My latest for the AMA. The whole shebang.