The physician assistant and geriatrics: what does the future hold?

The practice of geriatrics promises to change radically over the next 20 years. The elderly population will increase significantly, particularly in the age group older than 75. Hospital and nursing home utilization will expand dramatically, while medical and family manpower will diminish. Government control of medical services will continue to grow particularly through prospective payments. These developments present a challenge to the PA. In the short term, nurse practitioners and government providers may resist the use of PAs in geriatrics. However, within three to five years the ability of the PA to fill many of the geriatric patients' needs should be recognized. The author draws on his practical experience to describe the impact of government involvement on hospital and nursing home utilization and, in that context, some of the future roles open to PAs in geriatric practice.