黑料导航

The average wait time for a doctor鈥檚 appointment in United States cities is 26 days. Rural residents have it worse.

As the College of Osteopathic Medicine鈥檚 (NYITCOM) Dean Nicole Wadsworth, D.O., writes in a Salon op-ed, that鈥檚 because we鈥檙e in the midst of a nationwide physician shortage. Yet getting treated doesn鈥檛 need to be this difficult.

鈥淲e may have a limited number of doctors, but there鈥檚 another source of high-quality, professional care. Our hospitals and healthcare providers need to rely more on physician assistants鈥攚ho, at the moment, are often barred from working at the level for which they鈥檙e trained,鈥� writes Wadsworth. 鈥淭hat needs to change.鈥�

Physician assistants are licensed medical professionals who handle some routine duties that would otherwise require doctors鈥� time. Their ranks are increasing: In the past decade, the number of board-certified physician assistants grew by more than 75 percent.

鈥淎s an emergency room doctor for more than 20 years, I witnessed their rising presence. I experienced, firsthand, how incredibly useful and even crucial physician assistants can be; they handled duties like suturing and treating minor injuries, freeing me up to focus on more complex cases,鈥� Wadsworth writes.

In primary care practices, physician assistants order and interpret lab tests, prescribe medicine, and diagnose illnesses. In specialized settings, depending on their training and level of experience, they carry out countless responsibilities, from closing incision sites following surgery to performing biopsies and providing palliative care to the terminally ill. 

But in many states, physician assistants aren鈥檛 allowed to practice to the full extent of their training鈥攁t the 鈥渢op of their license鈥� in industry speak.

Unfortunately, these limits exist in large part because doctors insist on them. Groups representing physicians are fighting legal changes that would expand the duties physician assistants may perform, known as their 鈥渟cope of practice.鈥�

Doctors who oppose expanding the scope of practice for other healthcare professionals say they鈥檙e worried about patient safety. But, physician assistants have completed two- or three-year master鈥檚 degrees that include medical coursework and clinical rotations. They may have thousands of hours of experience. Moreover, a sick patient who can鈥檛 see a doctor for weeks or months would surely be safer if they could see a nurse practitioner or physician assistant right away.

鈥淭he real reason some doctors oppose scope expansions seems to be financially motivated,鈥� says Wadsworth.

Because of insurance company rules, practices typically see less reimbursement for work done by physician assistants. Yet doctors worried about diminishing financial returns are perceiving a scarcity that doesn鈥檛 exist: There鈥檚 no shortage of patients.

鈥淔or sure, it鈥檚 tough to see a doctor. But, physician assistants are helping patients every day. Let鈥檚 ensure they are able to continue doing so,鈥� says Wadsworth.

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