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physician assistant
please note:
- the content below is remote from Wikipedia
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{{distinguish|Assistant physician}}{{Multiple issues|{{Factual accuracy disputed|date=April 2023}}{{Globalize|article|USA|2name=the United States|date=April 2023}}}}{{Short description|Mid-level health care provider}}A Physician Assistant or Physician Associate (PA) is a type of healthcare professional. While these job titles are used internationally, there is significant variation in training and scope of practice from country to country, and sometimes between smaller jurisdictions such as states or provinces. Depending on location, PAs practice semi-autonomously under the supervision of a physician, or autonomously perform a subset of medical services classically provided by physicians.WEB, Where PAs and Physician Associates Can Work Internationally,www.thepalife.com/physician-assistants-pas-and-associates-around-the-world/, The Physician Assistant Life, 11 December 2018, May 10, 2023, The educational model was initially based upon the accelerated training of physicians in the United States during the shortage of qualified medical providers during World War II. Since then, the use of PAs has spread to at least 16 countries around the world.WEB, History of the PA Profession, American Academy of Physician Assistants, n.d., 13 June 2022,www.aapa.org/about/history/, In the US, PAs may diagnose illnesses, develop and manage treatment plans, prescribe medications, and serve as a principal healthcare provider. In many states PAs are required to have a direct agreement with a physician.WEB, What is a PA? - Frequently Asked Questions,www.aapa.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/FAQs_NewLayout_August2019.pdf, 2021-04-03, American Academy of Physician Assistants, In the UK, PAs were introduced in 2003. They support the work of the healthcare team, but are dependent clinicians requiring supervision from a physician.NEWS, Operose Health: UK’s biggest GP chain replacing doctors with less qualified staff, Sheikh, Rahil, Mole, Charlie, Holder, Sam, BBC News, 13 June 2022,www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-61759643, They cannot prescribe medications nor request ionising radiation investigations (e.g., x-ray) in the UK. PAs are widely used in Canada. The model began during the Korean War and transitioned to the present concept in 2002. Skills and scope of privileges are similar to those in the US.{{Toclimit|3}}- the content below is remote from Wikipedia
- it has been imported raw for GetWiki
Nomenclature
The occupational title of physician assistant and physician associate originated in the United States in 1967 at Duke University. The role has been adopted in the US, Canada, UK and Ireland, each with their own nomenclature. The role has been adopted in the US, Canada, United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Netherlands, Australia, New Zealand, India, Israel, Bulgaria, Myanmar, Switzerland, Liberia, Ghana, and by analogous names throughout Africa, each with their own nomenclature and education structure.{| class=“wikitable sortable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed plainrowheaders“! Jurisdiction !! Title !! Abbreviation !! Test !! Certifying Authority| url=https://www.aapa.org/title-change | work=American Academy of Physician Associates}} with accompanying state-level certification. |
| WEBSITE=CAPA - ACAM, with accompanying provincial certification |
| PUBLISHER=FACULTY OF PHYSICIAN ASSOCIATES, www.fparcp.co.uk, |
| | none |
| Clinical officer > | | Clinical Officers Council |
| Classifying health workers. Geneva, WHO, 2010. > | | |
| Assistant Medical Officer > | | Malaysia Medical Assistant Board (Lembaga Pembantu Perubatan Malaysia) |
| | NCAHP, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. |
| Assistant doctor (China)>Assistant DoctorARCHIVED COPY>URL=HTTP://WWW.UNHCR.ORG/REFWORLD/PDFID/4B6FE1B10.PDF | ARCHIVE-URL=HTTPS://WEB.ARCHIVE.ORG/WEB/20160609200938/HTTP://WWW.UNHCR.ORG/REFWORLD/PDFID/4B6FE1B10.PDF | ACCESS-DATE=2012-12-05, |
| Papua New Guinea> | Health Extension OfficerDIVINE WORD UNIVERSITY | URL-STATUS=DEAD | ARCHIVE-DATE=2010-11-28 | | |
| Soviet Union > | FeldsherISCO - INTERNATIONAL STANDARD CLASSIFICATION OF OCCUPATIONS | ACCESS-DATE=2019-02-05 | | |
| | |
Services
Physician assistants or associates may:- conduct patient interviews and take medical histories
- conduct physical examinations
- order and interpret diagnostic tests and exams (in some countries)
- diagnose illnesses
- formulate treatment plans
- coordinate and manage care
- perform medical procedures
- prescribe medications (in some countries)
- conduct clinical research
- provide patient counselling
- offer advice on preventative health care
- first assist in surgeryWEB,medicine.yale.edu/pa/profession/index.aspx, Physician Associate Program: The PA Profession, 4 January 2013, Yale School of Medicine, 23 December 2014,
- Can serve as a Clinical Tutor,Assistant professor, Associate Professor,Professor(Depending on Academic qualifications along with Experience).
Workplaces
Physician assistants or associates train to work in settings such as hospitals, clinics and other types of health facilities, or virtually via telemedicine. PAs are commonly found working in teaching and research as well as hospital administration and other clinical environments. PAs may practice in primary care or medical specialties, including emergency medicine, surgery and cardiology.WEB, What is a PA? Infographic, American Academy of PAs,www.aapa.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/WhatIsAPA-Infographic-MAY2020.pdf, 18 Sep 2020,Training
Physician assistant (or associate) education is shorter than a medical degree required to become a physician. It also typically does not involve residency training, although this is increasingly offered in a variety of specialties.Renewal of certification is usually required every few years, varying by jurisdiction.{{Cn|date=April 2023}}History
In 1961, Charles Hudson recommended that the American Medical Association create new medical provider certifications. Eugene A. Stead of the Duke University Medical Center assembled the first class of physician assistants in 1965, composed of four former US Navy Hospital Corpsmen.JOURNAL, J A, Braun, D R, Howard, L R, Pondy, The physician’s associate-a task analysis, American Journal of Public Health, December 1973, 63, 12, 1024–1028, 10.2105/AJPH.63.12.1024, 4148535, 1775358, WEB,pahx.org/stead-jr-eugene, Eugene A. Stead, Jr., MD, PA History Society, 19 June 2016, He based the curriculum of the PA program on his first-hand knowledge of the fast-track training of medical doctors during World War II.WEB,www.aapa.org/threeColumnLanding.aspx?id=429, History of the PA Profession, American Academy of Physician Assistants, 26 December 2014,www.aapa.org/threeColumnLanding.aspx?id=429," title="web.archive.org/web/20141226234522www.aapa.org/threeColumnLanding.aspx?id=429,">web.archive.org/web/20141226234522www.aapa.org/threeColumnLanding.aspx?id=429, 2014-12-26, dead, Two other physicians, Richard Smith at the University of Washington, and Hu Myers at Alderson-Broaddus College launched their own programs in the mid-late 1960s. J. Willis Hurst started the Emory University Physician Assistant Program in 1967.The Liberian model of PAs was a curriculum intended for graduates to work in areas absent of physicians as physician substitutes. Advisors for this program included UNICEF, American physicians, and Agnes N. Dagbe, MS, RN, a Liberian nurse educated in the US. Additional training was done in the USSR. The Liberian government inaugurated the program in 1965 with Dagbe as PA program.JOURNAL, Oliphant, John, Kennedy, Jallah, The PA profession in Liberia: A case study in pioneering innovation and resiliency, 10.1097/01.JAA.0000873788.94386.1b, JAAPA, 35, 10, October 2022, 56–61, 36165551, 252534492,journals.lww.com/jaapa/Fulltext/2022/10000/The_PA_profession_in_Liberia__A_case_study_in.14.aspx, Beginning in January 1971,JOURNAL,www.paeaonline.org/index.php?ht=action/GetDocumentAction/i/25103, Military Physician Assistants: Their Background And Education, Judith E., Colver, J. Dennis, Blessing, Jason, Hinojosa, Journal of Physician Assistant Education, 2007, 18, 3, 40–45, 10.1097/01367895-200718030-00005, the US Army produced eight classes of physician assistants, at 30 students per class, through the Academy of Health Sciences, Brooke Medical Center (academically accredited by Baylor University).In 2017, approximately 68% of physician assistants in the United States were women and approximately 32% were men.WEB, 2017 Statistical Profile of Certified Physician Assistants: An Annual Report of the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants.,prodcmsstoragesa.blob.core.windows.net/uploads/files/2017StatisticalProfileofCertifiedPhysicianAssistants%206.27.pdf, live,web.archive.org/web/20201222212015/https://prodcmsstoragesa.blob.core.windows.net/uploads/files/2017StatisticalProfileofCertifiedPhysicianAssistants%206.27.pdf, 2020-12-22, 2021-04-03, The profession expanded globally. It can now be found in Afghanistan, Australia, Canada, Germany, Ghana, India, Israel, Liberia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, and the United Kingdom. As a profession, physician assistants have greatly influenced the theory and conceptualization of socially accountable health professional education.JOURNAL, Kerlon, Ando, Forde, Allan, Preston, Robyn, Social Accountability of the Physician Assistant: A Fit-for-Purpose Health Workforce, The Journal of Physician Assistant Education, March 2016, 1, 27, 43–46, 10.1097/JPA.0000000000000053, 26894952, 9265616,Jurisdictions
Australia
In 2011, Health Workforce Australia began developing the role of physician assistant throughout the country culminating with registration and a PA Program based out of James Cook University.WEB, Why James Cook is starting a PA Program,www.croakey.org/why-james-cook-university-is-starting-a-physician-assistant-program/, Crokey Health Media, 31 March 2011, May 13, 2023, The Australian Society of Physician Assistants in 2011 published a code of practice.WEB, Table of Contents,www.aspa-australianpas.org/forms/code_of_practice_may13.pdf, Code of Practice, Despite all initial indicators showing that the new profession would be successfully integrated into the health care system, in 2013 it was reported that the progress had floundered resulting in the majority of PAs in Australia being unemployed.WEB, Physician Assistants in Australia: the solution to workforce woes?,www.amsj.org/archives/3005, 2018-04-17, Australian Medical Student Journal, 24 July 2013, en-AU,Canada
{{As of|October 2018}}, there are approximately 800 physician assistants working in healthcare settings in Canada.WEB,capa-acam.ca/about-pas/, About PAS, Canadian Association of Physician Assistants, 8 October 2015, The first formally trained physician assistants graduated in 1984 from the Canadian Forces Medical Services School at Borden, Ontario.WEB,capa-acam.ca/about-pas/history/, About PAs: History, Canadian Association of Physician Assistants, 8 October 2015, The Canadian Medical Association (CMA) recognized physician assistants as a health professional in 2003. Physician assistants are able to perform medical functions such as ordering tests, diagnosing diseases, prescribing medications, treating patients, educating patients and performing various medical and surgical procedures. Physician assistants are labeled under the federal government national occupational classification code 3124: allied primary health practitioners.WEB,noc.esdc.gc.ca/Error/ServerError404/2ac8f9140b764c69bd149542760a8e0e, Error 404 - Canada.ca, noc.esdc.gc.ca,Education and certification (Canada)
{{Refimprove-section|date=May 2021}}The first civilian physician assistant education programs were launched in 2008 at the University of Manitoba and McMaster University. In 2010, a third civilian program was launched by the consortium of physician assistant education (University of Toronto, Northern Ontario School of Medicine, and The Michener Institute) while further programmes were added in 2024 at Dalhousie UniversityWEB,www.newswire.ca/news-releases/new-training-program-at-dalhousie-will-help-address-health-workforce-challenges-867151453.html, New Training Program at Dalhousie will help address Health Workforce Challenges, Cision, 9 January 2024, and at the University of Calgary.WEB,ca.news.yahoo.com/albertas-first-training-program-physician-192334373.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAFI6sGSl_w7JOLbrfKCrLprWRaRedTMHF72A88UAXwlj765Not7i2QBUhCzQos_2d7_BthX_XP4aN_o9xyCggy8Yo7uZBSD_qs3m0N8yUyJel9IAqfV3L3Q8uOw_vxcEHB9ADG69KKEx_vjPNEzeYElp6wyz3EMtvOm-lvodvETB, Alberta’s first training program for physician assistants launches in Calgary, 26 March 2024
, Yahoo News, 28 March 2024,
In Canada, the education of a physician assistant generally consists of three years of professional post-graduate university education. The education is delivered over a two calendar year time-frame by completing fall, winter and summer semesters for both years of the program in either a master level university physician assistant program or post-graduate professional university bachelor level physician assistant program. Physician assistant graduates become eligible for the certification exam by being a graduate of a Canadian physician assistant program that is recognized by the Physician Assistant Certification Council of Canada (Canadian Armed Forces physician assistant program, University of Manitoba, McMaster University and the consortium of physician assistant education all of which are accredited by the Canadian Medical Association)., Yahoo News, 28 March 2024,
Scope of practice (Canada)
As of 2023 PAs in Canada may:Compensation (Canada)
Physician assistant salaries in civilian practice in Canada are relatively new and can range from approximately $80,000 CAD for entry level positions to $142,000 CAD a year for experienced providers which are not on call and up to $178,000 CAD for experienced providers which are on call.WEB,www.pcam.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Collective-Agreement-between-WRHA-and-PCAM-FULLY-EXECUTED.pdf, COLLECTIVE AGREEMENT, 2017, www.pcam.ca, 2021-04-04, The physician assistant profession is newer to civilian practice in Canada. The compensation report published in 2019 by the Canadian Association of Physician Assistants outlines the typical salaries across Canada being an entry median salary of approximately $80,000 CAD and an experienced median salary of approximately $105,000 CAD.WEB, 2019, The Canadian Association of Physician Assistants - Compensation Report - 2019,capa-acam.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/PA-Compensation-2019.pdf, 2021-04-03, capa-acam.ca,Regulation (Canada)
Physician assistants are currently practicing across Canada in the Canadian Armed Forces as commissioned officers in domestic and international environments and have been in practice since the 1960s.WEB,www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/news/2016/06/canadian-armed-forces-creates-new-officer-occupation-for-physician-assistants.html, Canadian Armed Forces creates new officer occupation for Physician Assistants, National, Defence, June 3, 2016, gcnws, Physician assistants outside of the Canadian Armed Forces practice usually in the public health care system in the provinces of Manitoba, Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Alberta.{{citation needed|date=June 2021}} Physician assistants have been regulated in Manitoba since 1999 and in New Brunswick since 2009WEB,capa-acam.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Historical-Events_Sept_2017_FINAL.pdf, Canada’s Physician Assistant Historical Timeline, 2017, capa-acam.ca, 2021-04-04, and are registrants of their respective provincial college of physicians and surgeons. In Ontario, Alberta and Nova Scotia the profession is not regulated at this time.{{Citation needed|date=April 2023}} Physician assistants in Ontario were introduced in 2007 to the public health system as a joint venture between the Ontario Ministry of Health and the Ontario Medical Association.WEB,www.healthforceontario.ca/en/Home/Health_Providers/Physician_Assistants?_ga=2.196839212.1021625597.1593876282-472451766.1593876282, Physician Assistants, www.healthforceontario.ca, In Alberta, a registry has been established for physician assistants under the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta with future regulation underway.WEB,www.albertahealthservices.ca/medstaff/Page8754.aspx#:~:text=PAs%20are%20nationally%20represented%20by,in%20Alberta%20is%20still%20underway, Medical Staff, www.albertahealthservices.ca, 2021-04-04, In Ontario, future regulation has been discussed by the Ontario Ministry of Health in which physician assistants would be members of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario.{{Citation needed|date=April 2023}} Physician assistants are represented by the Canadian Association of Physician Assistants, which originally was formed in October 1999.As of 2023, PAs scope of practice in Canada is described at their website:
The PA’s scope of practice is determined on an individual basis and formally outlined in a practice contract or agreement between the supervising physician(s), the PA and often the facility or service where the PA will work. Activities may include conducting patient interviews, histories and physical examinations; performing selected diagnostic and therapeutic interventions or procedures; and counseling patients on preventive health care.{{cn|date=May 2023}}
Germany
Physician Assistants / Associates were established in Germany as a degree course in 2005. ((:de:Arztassistent) WEB,www.gesundheit-studieren.com/berufe/arztassistent/, Arztassistent, January 4, 2024, www.gesundheit-studieren.com, ). Recruitment had initially been slow, but as of 2019 there were said to be several hundred (:de:Arztassistenten) in Germany.India
The first PA program in India was established in 1992 with a focus on expanding cardiovascular surgery. Since then, eight additional programs have developed (in total seven baccalaureate and four master’s level programs).JOURNAL, Physician assistant education in India, Luppo, Kuilman, Gomathi, Sundar, Cherian, KM, J Physician Assist Educ, January 2012, 23, 3, 56–9, 10.1097/01367895-201223030-00010, 23072073, The profession is regulated by the National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India.Ireland
Physician Associates were introduced by the Health Service Executive in the mid-2010’s. The Royal College of Surgeons has offered a PA postgraduate degree since 2016,NEWS, 2018-07-03, Physician associate role has ‘a lot to offer’ — HSE HR chief, en-US,www.medicalindependent.ie/physician-associate-role-has-a-lot-to-offer-hse-hr-chief/, 2021-06-26, Medical Independent, with 28 graduating by {{as of|2021|1|alt=January 2021}}. PAs may not write prescriptions.NEWS, Reilly, Catherine, 2021-01-11, Introducing physician associates to Ireland: The story so far, en-US, Medical Independent,www.medicalindependent.ie/introducing-physician-associates-to-ireland-the-story-so-far/, 2021-06-26,Israel
Physician Assistants were introduced in Israel in May 2016 to help augment a shrinking physician workforce. The initial training programs have been overseen by the ministry of health directly, but transition to academic training is planned.{{Citation needed|date=April 2023}} Israeli PA education is modeled after United States’ and Netherlands’ approaches, and has focused on former paramedics with bachelor’s degrees.{{Citation needed|date=April 2023}} As of 2022, the 100 or so PAs in Israel work exclusively within Emergency Departments. While PA scope of practice includes many emergency procedures, Israeli PAs are not currently allowed to prescribe or administer medicine in non-emergency settings.JOURNAL, The PA profession in Israel: A half-decade perspective, Ozer, Roi, JAAPA, 35, 11, November 2022,journals.lww.com/jaapa/pages/articleviewer.aspx?year=2022&issue=11000&article=00012&type=Fulltext, December 25, 2022, 57–61, 10.1097/01.JAA.0000885172.21571.8b, 36282580, 253108293,New Zealand
In February 2015, Health Workforce New Zealand completed a Phase-2 trial of PAs who worked for a period of two years (2013–2015) in four clinical settings.BOOK, Sarah, Appleton-Dyer, Phase II of the physician assistant demonstrations, evaluation report : report for Health Workforce New Zealand, Field, Adrian, 1966-, Dale-Gandar, Linden,, Boswell, Angela,, Wright, Matthew (Doctor),, Mahoney, Faith,, Hanham, Grant (Consultant), 2015, 9780478448665, Auckland, 919088530, Specifically, the sites included one rural emergency department and three primary care settings (two rural and one urban) located on the North and South Islands of New Zealand. At conclusion of the trial, several clinics continued to employ PAs while the process of health regulation makes its way through the government bureaucracy.{{Citation needed|date=April 2023}}United Kingdom
The position of physician assistant was established in the United Kingdom in 2005. It evolved from that of physician assistant, developed in the US in the 1960s.{{Citation needed|date=April 2023}} In 2012, a group of physician assistants voted to change the name to physician associate, this title is however exceedingly close to the title Associate Physician, which represents a senior medical doctor. Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust was asked to manage the recruitment of 200 physician associates who are expected to come from the US for 40 NHS trusts in September 2015.NEWS, 11 September 2015, London trust to recruit 200 physician associates for 40 providers, Health Service Journal,www.hsj.co.uk/hsj-local/acute-trusts/the-hillingdon-hospitals-nhs-foundation-trust/london-trust-to-recruit-200-physician-associates-for-40-providers/5090211.article#.ViqxBEpup1A, subscription, 23 October 2015, Physician Associates are not regulated and are therefore not registered healthcare professionals. They are not able to prescribe or order tests which require ionising radiation. Legally, Physician Associates cannot work autonomously, as the provision of treatment is regulated by the Health and Social Care Act, which explicitly legislates the protected professional titles of the registered healthcare professionals that can undertake the regulated activities of providing treatment.In 2022 it was reported that private company Operose Health, owned by US company Centene Corporation, which had acquired many UK National Health Service (NHS) GP practices, was using many PAs—at less than half the cost of a GPNEWS, Britain’s biggest chain of GP surgeries accused of ‘profiteering’, Campbell, Denis, The Guardian, 13 June 2022,www.theguardian.com/society/2022/jun/13/britains-biggest-chain-of-gp-surgeries-accused-of-profiteering, —and allowing them essentially to act as GPs, without required supervision. A BBC reporter worked undercover at an Operose practice for six weeks, reporting on many problems.NEWS, Operose Health: What I saw working undercover at a GP surgery, Wakefield, Jacqui, BBC News, 13 June 2022,www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-61759641, A senior GP said that the company was prioritising profit, putting patients at risk.In July 2023, the death of Emily Chesterton raised questions about the naming of physician associates in the UK. Emily died from a pulmonary embolism after seeing a physician associate twice in the weeks proceeding her death, who had misdiagnosed her and asked for her to be given anxiety medication. Emily was under the impression she was seeing her GP, and not a physician associate. After her death, Emily’s mother and her local MP, Barbara Keeley, called for more regulation around physician associates and for the role to be renamed to avoid confusion.NEWS, 2023-07-12, Misdiagnosis: Bereaved mum calls for physician associate role clarity, en-GB, BBC News,www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-manchester-66168798, 2023-07-12, WEB, House of Commons 6th July 2023 Debate: Physician Associates, Question by Barbara Keeley,hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2023-07-06/debates/D98F2ABE-7B33-4748-B88E-ED7243469131/details, UK Parliament Hansard, In July 2023 a motion was brought forward for discussion by the British Medical Association to rename PAs clearly as Physician Assistants in the U.K. to avoid role confusion with Physicians and for them to be registered with the Health and Care Professions Council.WEB, 2020-06-12, Call for alternative regulator of – and to rename – physician associates,www.bma.org.uk/news-and-opinion/call-for-alternative-regulator-of-and-to-rename-physician-associates, 2023-08-10, The British Medical Association is the trade union and professional body for doctors in the UK., en-gb, In February 2024 a story broke about make up artist Christopher Tucker receiving a cystoscopy despite symptoms of a urinary infection. He received no antibiotics for the infection or as prophylaxis after the procedure. He died less than 48 hours later. The Physician Associate involved then took part into the investigation of their own practice in the case.NEWS, team, Investigations, 2024-02-24, Family of film make-up artist call for inquest after treatment by physician associate,www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/02/24/family-make-up-artist-call-for-inquest/, 2024-02-24, The Telegraph, en-GB, 0307-1235,Faculty of Physician Associates, Royal College of Physicians (UK)
The Faculty of Physician Associates is the professional body for Physician Associates working in the United Kingdom.{{Cn|date=February 2024}} A joint venture between the Royal College of Physicians of London and the previous professional body, the United Kingdom Association of Physician Associates, the Faculty officially launched in July 2015, taking over all professional responsibilities.{{Citation needed|date=April 2023}} The Faculty oversees the managed voluntary register, which all practising associates are encouraged to join, and sets and runs the National Assessment Examination and National Recertification Examination which is optional for PAs.Scope of practice (UK)
In the United Kingdom, PAs are dependent practitioners, and they must practice under the supervision of a physician.WEB, Becoming a PA {{!, Faculty of Physician Associates - quality health care across the NHS |url=https://www.fparcp.co.uk/becoming-a-pa |access-date=2023-04-10 |website=www.fparcp.co.uk}} Physician Associates/Assistants are trained under the medical model, similarly to physicians, to deliver medical care in primary, secondary, and tertiary care settings.{{Cn|date=February 2024}} They perform some tasks relating to diagnosis, taking medical histories, ordering and interpreting laboratory tests.WEB, 2015-03-26, Physician associate,www.nhscareers.nhs.uk/explore-by-career/doctors/careers-in-medicine/physician-associate/, 22 October 2017, Nhscareers.nhs.uk, PAs cannot legally request ionising radiation investigations such as a CT scan or radiographs, they also cannot legally prescribe any medications.There is no nationally agreed upon scope of practice for Physician Associates in the United Kingdom as of 2024, despite them working in the United Kingdom for over a decade.In early 2024, the British Medical Association published their recommendations for doctors supervising PAsBOOK, Safe scope of practice for Medical Associate Professionals (MAPs), British Medical Association,www.bma.org.uk/media/tkcosjt1/maps-scope-of-practice2024-web.pdf, 2024, in an effort to formulate a scope of practice aligned to the education received by PAs. The six core principles of this guidance are:WEB, Parr, Eliza, 2024-03-07, ‘First of its kind’ guidance sees BMA set out PA ‘scope of practice’,www.pulsetoday.co.uk/news/workforce/first-of-its-kind-guidance-sees-bma-set-out-pa-scope-of-practice/, 2024-03-08, Pulse Today, en-gb, WEB, BMA sets out first national guidance for the role and responsibilities of physician associates in major intervention for patient safety - BMA media centre - BMA,www.bma.org.uk/bma-media-centre/bma-sets-out-first-national-guidance-for-the-role-and-responsibilities-of-physician-associates-in-major-intervention-for-patient-safety, 2024-03-08, The British Medical Association is the trade union and professional body for doctors in the UK., en-gb,- This is an assistant role to doctors helping with simple practical procedures, administrative tasks, and working with patients in a supportive and specified role.
- This does not extend to seeing undifferentiated patients in any situation.
- In a hospital setting, this means that they should not work in an emergency department setting unless a supervisor reviews each patient in person
- In a GP setting, a GP should first triage all the patients and decide which ones a PA can see for some protocolised reviews in stable patients
- When seeing differentiated patients (those already triaged by a doctor as appropriate, or already assessed, diagnosed, and on a treatment plan by a doctor), MAPs must be directly and closely supervised.
- PAs/AAs/SCPs must not make independent management decisions for patients nor be responsible for initial assessments of patients and diagnosis.
- MAPs must make it clear in all communication to patients and to other staff members that they are not doctors and be clear about their specific role.
- Statements such as ‘I am one of the medical team’ must not be used unless also stating their own title.
