Letters
Health services administration
Volume 190 - Issue 7

Doctor displacement: a political agenda or a health care imperative?

Authors:  Guy L Ludbrook and Guy J Maddern

Med J Aust 2009; 190 (7): 396-397. || doi: 10.5694/j.1326-5377.2009.tb02461.x
Published online: 6 April 2009
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To the Editor: We read with interest the recent editorial by Van Der Weyden on the issue of doctor displacement.1 We agree completely that a transparent and evidence-based approach to health care roles is essential.

In proposing a pilot program of physician assistants (PAs) in South Australia to examine the potential of “physician extenders”, we broadly used the model applied to the introduction of new therapies in medicine, including new drugs:

This last point is noted in the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists’ submission to the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission.2 We emphasised the need for any proposed future clinical role for PAs to be defined, followed by identification of the required knowledge base, training and education requirements, and certification.

Not all new health care roles have followed such a pathway, and this provides potential challenges for ensuring quality, safety, consistency and “trademark definition” (widespread understanding of the role). In the case of PAs, it was evident at a recent International Forum for Physician Assistant Education in the United States that the definition of the term “physician assistant” varies greatly internationally, potentially confusing future debate on this topic in Australia. Hence, to develop a robust Australian model, any proposals for ongoing use and training of PAs would have to be discussed at a national level.

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