Physician assistants not only increase patient satisfaction, but also can be cost-efficient for facilities. Healthcare costs and price were both increasing extremely, resulting in less jobs available in the medical field as well as patients unable to afford to visit the doctor in order to be treated. This affected many in the nation, the more rural areas being hit the hardest. So the country needed a solution before everything went to chaos. The government took notice of the PA program quickly and began to finance it in multiple schools across the United States. Physician assistants are able to do many of the tasks that primary physicians usually perform, allowing facilities to require fewer primary physicians. When comparing the techniques
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The type of facility with the most PA’s found is family medicine. About twenty-five percent of physician assistants in the country work in a family medicine facility, which is around 19,000 personnel10. The high number is due to family medicine being the origin of the profession. At a family medicine facility, PA’s work under the supervision of a family physician while performing the medical care needed for patients. Due to state regulations the freedom a physician assistant has in certain practices can vary. Typically, a physician assistant in family medicine can perform physical examinations, diagnose and treat illnesses/injuries, and in some states prescribe medications with a physician’s approval. A team-based operation is key in a family practice facility between the physician assistant and primary physician. As PA’s conduct the day-to-day care for patients, they get advice from the primary physician in order to confirm the correct treatments for the illness/injury. The physician assistants also obtain any necessary information the primary physician may need to know about for future operations or examinations. Of course this kind of team-work is needed in every aspect of the medical field, in order to achieve the maximum amount of care the country …show more content…
Due to the more responsibilities that a surgical PA has, more education and experience is required. Their duties can range from small checkups to major surgeries. A surgical physician assistant can be 1st assistant in surgery, which requires ensuring all equipment and supplies are present and sterilized. They may also have to talk to the families of patients or explain medicine instructions and plan follow-up appointments11. These are just three of the many other different types of facilities physician assistants can be found. Because of this, one of the perks of the profession is its flexibility. After graduating a physician assistant may become an emergency medicine PA but be transferred over to a surgery facility to aid in a procedure. Erin Metcalf started out as a PA in family medicine, however, is now in an infectious disease clinic due to her personal preferences of the profession. With this flexibility becoming more widely spread out, more education may very well be needed, in order to have physician assistants provide the best medical care
The type of facility with the most PA’s found is family medicine. About twenty-five percent of physician assistants in the country work in a family medicine facility, which is around 19,000 personnel10. The high number is due to family medicine being the origin of the profession. At a family medicine facility, PA’s work under the supervision of a family physician while performing the medical care needed for patients. Due to state regulations the freedom a physician assistant has in certain practices can vary. Typically, a physician assistant in family medicine can perform physical examinations, diagnose and treat illnesses/injuries, and in some states prescribe medications with a physician’s approval. A team-based operation is key in a family practice facility between the physician assistant and primary physician. As PA’s conduct the day-to-day care for patients, they get advice from the primary physician in order to confirm the correct treatments for the illness/injury. The physician assistants also obtain any necessary information the primary physician may need to know about for future operations or examinations. Of course this kind of team-work is needed in every aspect of the medical field, in order to achieve the maximum amount of care the country …show more content…
Due to the more responsibilities that a surgical PA has, more education and experience is required. Their duties can range from small checkups to major surgeries. A surgical physician assistant can be 1st assistant in surgery, which requires ensuring all equipment and supplies are present and sterilized. They may also have to talk to the families of patients or explain medicine instructions and plan follow-up appointments11. These are just three of the many other different types of facilities physician assistants can be found. Because of this, one of the perks of the profession is its flexibility. After graduating a physician assistant may become an emergency medicine PA but be transferred over to a surgery facility to aid in a procedure. Erin Metcalf started out as a PA in family medicine, however, is now in an infectious disease clinic due to her personal preferences of the profession. With this flexibility becoming more widely spread out, more education may very well be needed, in order to have physician assistants provide the best medical care