Physician Assistants Optimizing Patient Care

Physician AssistantsOptimizing Patient Care

Presentation Objectives • What is a PA? • Scope of Practice • PAs in Canada • PAs benefiting the Health Care System • The Value of PAs • Advancing the PA Profession in Canada

What is a PA? • A Physician Assistant is a university-educated health care professional who works in direct collaboration with a licensed supervising physician • In the practice of medicine, PAs have a instrumental role in preventing, maintaining, and treating human illness and injury • Through the process of delegation, PAs provide a broad range of health care services that are traditionally performed by physicians

What is a PA? • PAs can be entrusted and authorized to make certain decisions and to carry out certain actions autonomously • As an integral member of the health care team, a PA does not supplant or substitute a physician as the principal medical decision-maker • Through a collaborative and patient-centered model of care, PAs work with a supervising physician in a manner that greatly enhances access to quality care for patients

Scope of Practice Competencies and Oversight • The National Competency Profile and Scope of Practice was developed in conjunction with the College of Family Physicians of Canada, the Canadian Medical Association, and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada • In Canada, PAs are formally trained and educated under the medical model, and they must meet the national standard set by Canadian Association of Physician Assistants • The Physician Assistant Certification Council of Canada administers and maintains the PA certification process

Scope of Practice Duties Generally Performed by PAs • Completing medical histories and performing comprehensive physical examinations • Ordering, performing and interpreting common diagnostic tests including; laboratory, radiological, ECG, etc., that are used to identify pathologies and disease processes • Completing admission and discharge procedures for hospital stays • Referring patients for consultation with specialists

Scope of Practice Duties Generally Performed by PAs • Assisting physicians in developing and implementing patient management plans • Recording progress notes in isolated and in-patient care settings • Prescribing medication in accordance with medical directives and local legislation • Providing preventative health counseling • Performing certain minor surgical procedures as well as functioning as a first assist in general or specialized surgical interventions

PAs in Canada • There are approximately 400 Physician Assistants practicing in Canada, in both civilian settings and within the Canadian Forces • 4 provinces recognize PAs as a profession, more are currently evaluating the role • 4 nationally recognized reputable academic institutions offer PA programs • In the US there are over 90, 000 PAs practicing in health care settings

PA Accredited Programs • Canadian Forces Health Services Training Centre • University of Manitoba Physician Assistant Education Program • McMaster University Medical Sciences PA Program • Consortium for PA Education (combination of the University of Toronto/Northern Ontario School of Medicine/Michener Institute for Applied Health Sciences)

PAs Benefit our Health Care System • Today 4.5 million people in Canada do not have a regular medical doctor 1 1. “Canadian Community Health Survey” Statistics Canada • PAs have demonstrated major enhancements in the delivery of care by improving access for patients and by reducing wait times • PAs can manage up to 62 % of all patients in emergency care2 • PAs can manage up to 75 % of all visits in primary care without referral to physician level care2 2. “Staffing primary care in 1990: physician replacement and cost saving” Schweitzer & Record

PAs Benefit our Health Care System • In orthopaedicsPAs can increase the volume of primary joint procedures by 42 % a year 3 • In orthopaedicsPAs decrease wait times for surgeries by 14 weeks 3 3.“Experience with physician assistants in a Canadian arthroplasty program” Bohm et al. • In Emergency Departments PAs can reduce wait times for patients by 1.9 times and reduce “left without being seen”rates by 50%4 4. “Impact on patient flow after the integration of nurse practitioners and physician assistants in Ontario emergency departments” Ducharme et al.

The Value of PAs • Integrating PAs into health care increases the level of service for patients and addresses the challenges and shortfalls that negatively impact our health system • Interprofessional collaborative approach that reduces the workload placed on the entire team and the physician • PAs are trained to work in a team-based setting which fosters greater inter-professional collaboration among other health care providers

Advancing the PA Profession • Increasing familiarity with the PA role and Scope of Practice • Establishing a comprehensive and sustainable funding model(s) • Increasing the recruitment and integration of PAs in all areas of the health care system “Barriers and Benefits to Hiring a Physician Assistant", Taylor et al.

PAs are Making a Difference • Physicians support the Physician Assistant profession, and more are requesting to work with PAs • PAs have proven value and benefits to the health care system • We must continue to gain the support of local and provincial governments and other key health organizations • Your voice and your support are vital to ensuring that PAs can continue improving YOUR access to quality health care services

Questions? For more information please visit our website at capa-acam.ca

Physician Assistants Optimizing Patient Care