In the United States, there has been very little organized resistance to the use of PAs by Physicians over the past nearly fifty years. No organized medical group or organization has ever officially voiced opposition. Rather the American Medical Association (AMA), the American College of Surgeons (ACS), the American College of Physicians (ACP) and others, have strongly supported the notion of n...

There is broad consensus among medical workforce analysts that the demand for physician assistants (PAs), physicians, nurses, allied health, and other medical providers has substantially increased since the late 1990s. While researchers tend to examine the deployment of various providers in private medical offices, they often overlook federally-employed PAs. Since the late 1980s, the Department...

bottom right WENDY RAY is the assistant to the Assistant Regional Medical Director for Quality Management and Systems for NWP in Portland, Oregon. Patient acceptance and satisfaction with care has only recently received attention in the medical literature. Interest has grown concomitantly with increasing competition among health plans: Because they need to attract and retain members, health pla...

Access to medical care is limited in most of Canada, and the population often endures lengthy waiting times to see a physician. The use of new and varied health care providers has been suggested as a means to alleviate the shortage of physicians. This paper reviews the history and role of the Physician Assistant (PA), both in Canada and internationally, and outlines the clinical competencies cu...

A nationwide survey of county departments of social services revealed a need for medical services and consultation to child protection units. Over 92% of the 84 counties surveyed stated they had a problem meeting their medical needs and would be willing to hire a physician assistant as medical consultant to their county's child protection team. No county refused to consider a physician assistan...

OBJECTIVE To analyze the health policies related to physician assistants (PAs) and to understand the factors influencing this medical work force movement. QUALITY OF EVIDENCE This work combines a review of the literature and qualitative information, and it serves as a historical bookmark. The approach was selected when attempts to obtain reports or literature using customary electronic biblio...

During the past 35 years, the roles for nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs) have evolved in parallel with the roles that physicians have come to play. Shifting needs in primary care and expanding opportunities in specialty medicine have been the dominant trends. Future directions will be influenced additionally by the deepening physician shortage. NPs are preparing for this...

This study documents features of clinical departments in teaching hospitals that are using physician assistants (PAs) and nurse practitioners (NPs) to perform some tasks previously done by medical or surgical residents. More than 60 percent of teaching hospital medical directors surveyed reported experience with substitution in their hospitals. The experience overall appears to be positive; one...