Physician Assistant Profession

Physician assistants (PAs) are health care professionals who, in some countries, are authorized to practice medicine as part of a team that includes physicians. PAs deliver a broad range of medical and surgical services that are typically performed by physicians. PAs work in hospitals, clinics, and a variety of other health facilities, and exercise autonomy in medical decision-making as directed by their supervising physician. A period of intense classroom and clinical training precedes the granting of a license to practice as a PA. The profession was created to improve and expand health care. The concept gained acceptance and backing in the United States, as early as the 1970s, as a creative solution to physician shortages. Since then PAs have been increasingly employed and are now found worldwide. Understanding how PAs are utilized is important to international health policy. Several studies in the United States and the Netherlands are currently investigating the efficiency and effectiveness of employing PAs. Keywords: physician assistant; substitution; task reallocation