Health Care : Current Reviews

The efficacy and effectiveness of substitution of hospital ward care from physicians to PAs

3^rd Indo-Global Summit & Expo on Healthcare

October 05-07, 2015 New Delhi, India

Marijke J C Timmermans

Radboud University Medical Center, Netherlands

Posters-Accepted Abstracts: Health Care: Current Reviews

Abstract:

Because of an expected shrinking supply of medical doctors for hospitalist posts, increased emphasis on efficiency and continuity of care and the standardization of medical procedures, the role of hospitalist is increasingly allocated to physician assistants (PAs). PAs are non-physician clinicians with medical tasks. This study aims to evaluate the effects of substitution of hospital ward care to PAs. In a multicenter matched controlled study, the traditional model in which the role of hospitalist is taken solely by Medical Doctors (MD model) is compared with a mixed model in which PAs functions as a hospitalist, contingent with MDs (PA/MD model). Thirty-four intervention and control wards were included from a range of medical specialties. Primary outcome measure is patients�?? length of hospital stay. Secondary outcomes include quality of hospital ward care and patients experiences with medical ward care. An economic evaluation is conducted to assess the cost implications and potential efficiency of the PA/MD model. Data is collected from medical records and questionnaires in samples of 100 patients per hospital ward. No differences in quality of care were found. General satisfaction with the medical ward care was significantly higher on the intervention wards than on the control wards (8.4±1.3 vs. 8.0±1.5, p=0.00). This study indicates that it is safe to substitute hospital ward care to PAs and that patient experiences with the received medical ward care are better on wards where PAs work as hospitalist compared with wards where only MDs fulfill the role of hospitalist.

Biography :

Email: Marijke.Timmermans@radboudumc.nl