CHS Hosts Seminar on Outcomes Research and Primary Care Delivery

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YEREVAN, Armenia — On September 8, the American University of Armenia (AUA) Gerald & Patricia Turpanjian College of Health Sciences (CHS) hosted Dr. Lusine Poghosyan (MPH ’03), Stone Foundation and Elise D. Fish professor of Nursing at Columbia University School of Nursing and professor of Health Policy and Management at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. Dr. Poghosyan gave a public lecture on Nursing Outcomes Research and Primary Care Delivery for Older Adults by Nurse Practitioners.

In her talk, Dr. Poghosyan presented her research, particularly sharing the outcomes pertaining to Nurse Practitioners (NPs), a role that is experiencing significant growth in the United States (U.S.). In the near future, she posited, NPs will constitute almost one-third of all primary care providers in the U.S. She further elucidated that NPs are registered nurses with either master’s or doctoral training and scope of practice that authorizes them to assess, diagnose, treat patients, and prescribe necessary medication and tests to ensure patients receive high-quality care.

Dr. Poghosyan discussed the challenges NPs encounter and the extent of practice privileges they possess across different states. Her research demonstrates that “fewer limitations on the NP scope of practice has shown improved outcomes in patients and reduced Medicaid costs.” States where NPs were authorized the full scope of practice experienced an annual reduction of 17% in outpatient costs and 11% in prescription drug costs per beneficiary. The U.S. NP workforce plays a pivotal role in providing safe, high-quality care, particularly to older adults with chronic conditions.

The seminar also discussed the policy and organizational barriers that impact the optimal utilization of primary care NPs and the healthcare they provide to older adults. Subsequently, Dr. Poghosyan addressed the prospects for advancing the role of nurses in Armenia’s healthcare system: “Advancing the nursing profession through university education is key to the enhancement of the healthcare system and improvement of patient outcomes in general.” This topic was of great interest to the audience, triggering further questions and comments following the presentation.

Many students from the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program attended the seminar and were “inspired by Dr. Poghosyan’s presentation, as it broadened our perspective on the significant potential for advancement within our scope of practice.”

Dr. Poghosyan is the principal investigator for multiple government and privately funded research projects. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and the New York Academy of Medicine. She will join the AcademyHealth board of directors in December 2023. Dr. Poghosyan is the recipient of multiple recognitions, including International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame from Sigma Theta Tau International, American Nurses Foundation Scholar award, Mentorship and New Investigator awards from AcademyHealth’s Interdisciplinary Research Group on Nursing Issues, and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Nurse Faculty Scholar award. Dr. Poghosyan holds a Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania and an MPH from AUA, which she proudly represents.

The AUA Turpanjian College of Health Sciences works actively to improve population health and health services in Armenia and the region through interdisciplinary education and development of health professionals to be leaders in public health, nursing, health services research and evaluation, and health care delivery and management.