How Scope of Practice Laws Impact Care in California

This series examines the scope of practice of selected California health professions. The series looks at professions discussed by the California Future Health Workforce Commission and its subcommittees and workgroups during the spring and summer of 2018. Each brief begins by describing the profession, including its legally permissible scope of work, and educational requirements. The briefs then outline how California’s permissible scope of practice compares with that of other states and provide a summary of research studies on the impact of the profession’s scope of practice on access to care, care quality, and costs. Finally, they summarize demographic characteristics, practice settings, and geographic distribution.