Physician Assistants in Canada
Keywords:
Canada, Physician AssistantsAbstract
Physician Assistants began working in the Canadian Armed Forces over 50 years ago and were initially called “medical assistants”. The name changed to physician assistants (PAs) in 1991 (1).
PAs work in team settings, with an individualized scope of medical practice similar to their supervising physicians. PAs are flexible and nimble in the work assigned based on clinical need, patient volumes, wait times and gaps in the clinical care process. PAs may work shifts and participate in on-call activities. Specialized roles are adopted by PAs who have had the requisite training andexperience as determined by the supervising physician. This includes performing procedures and assisting in the operating room.
PAs work under the supervision of physicians and can have multiple supervisors. Supervisors in academic hospitals may delegate some aspects of the supervisory role to physicians in post-graduate training programs such as residents and fellows. Experienced PAs can achieve a high level of autonomy but are not independent practitioners. Legislation governing the medical acts civilian PAs perform is determined at the provincial level and may involve the use of a scope of practice document or medical directives.
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