Ensuring that interprofessional health care teams have a mix of skilled
professionals to meet patient need, safely and effectively. Like a number of
other countries, the UK have been exploring the contribution physician
assistants (PAs), who are well established in the US,
can make to interprofessional teams. In a study recently published in the J Interprof Care investigated the employment of PAs in primary
care and their contribution through an electronic, self report, survey.
Sixteen PAs responded, who were working in a variety of
types of general practice teams. A range of activities were reported
but the greatest proportion of their time was described as seeing
patients in booked surgery appointments for same day/urgent
appointments. The scope of the survey was limited and questions remain
as to patient and professional responses to a new professional group
within an interprofessional primary care context.
For more information see: http://informahealthcare.com/doi/abs/10.3109/13561820.2012.686538
