Task shifting and quality of care in practice; physician assistants compared with anaesthesiology residents in the preoperative anaesthesiology outpatient clinic
Tromp Meesters, R.C.; Hettinga, A.M.; van den Brink, G.; Postma, C.T.; Scheffer, G.
Nederlands tijdschrift voor geneeskunde 157(19): A5518
2013
ISSN/ISBN: 1876-8784 PMID: 23657096 Document Number: 668921
To compare the clinical competencies of second-year anaesthesiology residents and physician assistants (PA) in the preoperative anaesthesiology outpatient clinic. Comparative qualitative observational study. The two study groups were compared using 5 test stations representing 5 different cases of varying degrees of complexity with standardized patients. For each case, the patients and two anaesthesiologists assessed the results of the PAs and the residents using a quantitative scoring system for 4 clinical skills relevant to the preoperative anaesthesiology outpatient clinic. These skills were history-taking, physical examination, communication, and reporting. At each station, a score was calculated for each skill. The groups' scores were subsequently compared. 9 PAs and 11 residents carried out the station tests. There were no significant differences between the two groups of participants. In this study in a preoperative anaesthesiology outpatient clinic no difference in clinical competencies was found between PAs and second-year anaesthesiology residents.