The American journal of managed care
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To examine whether treatment change for diabetic patients presenting with elevated blood pressure (BP) differed between physicians and midlevel providers (nurse practitioners [NPs] and physician assistants [PAs]) and to determine reasons for any observed differences. ⋯ Midlevel providers were significantly less likely than physicians to change BP treatment for diabetic patients with multiple chronic conditions presenting with elevated BP at a single visit. We could not find good explanations for this difference. Given the expanding role of midlevel providers in delivering primary care to complex patients, we need to understand whether these treatment change differences lead to long-term differences in BP control.