Ara A Salibian1, Hossein Mahboubi, Madhukar S Patel, Edward C Kuan, Darren J Malinoski, Parsia A Vagefi, Hamid R Djalilian. 1. At the time this article was written, Ara A. Salibian was a medical student at the University of California at Irvine. He now is a resident in the Department of Plastic Surgery at New York (N.Y.) University. Hossein Mahboubi is a resident in the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at the University of California at Irvine. Madhukar S. Patel is a resident in the Department of Surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, Mass. Edward C. Kuan is a resident in the Department of Head and Neck Surgery at the University of California at Los Angeles. Darren J. Malinoski is section chief in Surgical Critical Care at the Portland (Ore.) Veterans Affairs Medical Center and an associate professor of surgery at Oregon Health and Science University. Parsia A. Vagefi is associate surgical director of liver transplantation at Massachusetts General Hospital. Hamid R. Djalilian is director of the Division of Neurotology and Skull Base Surgery in the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at the University of California at Irvine. The authors have disclosed no potential conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: This study aimed to determine the prevalence and occupational characteristics of physician assistants (PAs) and nurse practitioners (NPs) in outpatient surgical subspecialty clinics. METHODS: The 2007 and 2008 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS) databases were queried for the number and characteristics of office visits seen by different provider types (PAs or NPs, physicians, or both) in various surgical subspecialties. RESULTS: More than 250 million weighted sample visits were analyzed. PAs or NPs were involved in 5.9% of visits, though the percentage of patients seen by them alone (1.1%) was significantly lower (P<0.0001). PAs and NPs were more likely to be involved in pre- or postoperative visits, and often saw the same diagnoses alone as physicians only. The most common procedures performed by PAs and NPs varied according to subspecialty. CONCLUSIONS: PAs and NPs have a minor prevalence in the ambulatory surgical workforce during the time period studied. Further integration of these providers into the outpatient setting may help optimize efficiency in ambulatory surgical care.
BACKGROUND: This study aimed to determine the prevalence and occupational characteristics of physician assistants (PAs) and nurse practitioners (NPs) in outpatient surgical subspecialty clinics. METHODS: The 2007 and 2008 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS) databases were queried for the number and characteristics of office visits seen by different provider types (PAs or NPs, physicians, or both) in various surgical subspecialties. RESULTS: More than 250 million weighted sample visits were analyzed. PAs or NPs were involved in 5.9% of visits, though the percentage of patients seen by them alone (1.1%) was significantly lower (P<0.0001). PAs and NPs were more likely to be involved in pre- or postoperative visits, and often saw the same diagnoses alone as physicians only. The most common procedures performed by PAs and NPs varied according to subspecialty. CONCLUSIONS:PAs and NPs have a minor prevalence in the ambulatory surgical workforce during the time period studied. Further integration of these providers into the outpatient setting may help optimize efficiency in ambulatory surgical care.