Introducing physician assistants into new roles:  international experiences

Frossard, Laurent A; Liebich, Genevieve; Hooker, Roderick S; Brooks, Peter M; Robinson, Lynn

doi:10.5694/j.1326-5377.2008.tb01583.x

Topics

The 35th Annual Physician Assistant Conference held in the United States in May 2007 provided an opportunity for Australia to learn from the experience of other countries

The 35th Annual Physician Assistant Conference of the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA), held in Philadelphia in May 2007, was attended by almost 8000 delegates, including physician assistants (PAs), students, academics and policymakers. The conference aimed to promote professional development of PAs, develop ideas and provide education. It also featured an international forum focusing on global developments in PA-related activities. We report here on two countries that have recently introduced PAs, to identify opportunities for improving Australia’s transition into implementing the PA role.

1 University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD.
2 Rheumatology Research, Department of Veterans Affairs, Dallas, Tex, USA.

Correspondence: l.frossard@uq.edu.au

Acknowledgements:

Funding for all authors to attend the AAPA conference was provided by the University of Queensland. We would like to express our appreciation to Professor Niki Ellis (Centre for Military and Veterans’ Health), Tom Ashman (Physician Assistants Foundation of Canada), Colonel John Chitwood (United States Air Force), Captain James Jones (US Army Medical Department and Interservice PA Program, Fort Sam Houston) and Dr Joshua Tepper (Ministry of Health and Long Term Care, Ontario) for their valuable contributions to a report authored by Captain Genevieve Liebich13 that provided the background for this article.

Competing interests:

None identified.

1. Hooker RS, Kole LA. Physician assistants in a changing world [editorial]. JAAPA 2002; 15 (10): 4.
2. Mittman DE, Cawley JF, Fenn WH. Physician assistants in the United States. BMJ 2002; 325: 485-487.
3. Léger M, Legler C, Farhinger D, McNellis R. The global applicability of physician assistants. AAPA’s 33rd Annual Physician Assistant Conference; 2005 May 28 – Jun 2; Orlando, Fla, USA.
4. Hooker RS, Hogan K, Leeker E. The globalization of the physician assistant profession. J Physician Assist Educ 2007; 18 (3): 76-85.
5. Gish O. Doctor auxiliaries in Tanzania. Lancet 1973; 2: 1251-1254.
6. Liu CM, Chien CW, Chou P, et al. An analysis of job satisfaction among physician assistants in Taiwan. Health Policy 2005; 73: 66-77.
7. Crebolder HF, van der Horst FG. Anticipatory care and the role of Dutch general practice in health promotion — a critical reflection. Patient Educ Couns 1996; 28: 51-55.
8. Hooker RS, MacDonald K, Patterson R. Physician assistants in the Canadian Forces. Mil Med 2003; 168: 948-950.
9. Fischer I. Doctors’ assistants and what they do in The Netherlands. World Health Forum 1994; 15: 269-270.
10. Buchan J, O’May F, Ball J. New role, new country: introducing US physician assistants to Scotland. Hum Resour Health 2007; 5: 13.
11. Ellis N, Robinson L, Brooks PM. Task substitution: where to from here [editorial]? Med J Aust 2006; 185: 18-19. <MJA full text>
12. Kuttler H. International symposium, CME sessions showcase profession’s development. AAPA News 2007; 30 Jun: Sect. 10.
13. Liebich G. Physician assistants: utilisation in the United States and internationally – an update. Brisbane: Centre for Military and Veteran’s Health, Jul 2007.

Online responses are no longer available. Please refer to our instructions for authors page for more information.