Patients who have seen a physician assistant in the past year agree: PAs provide quality care and can help address the primary care shortage, according to a recent survey conducted by Harris Poll for the American Academy of Physician Assistants.
In a sample of more than 1,500 adults, most reported dissatisfaction with the current quality of their healthcare. Only 24 percent of respondents reported liking and trusting their primary care provider and even less, 18 percent, reported their provider spent enough time fully answering all of their questions.
However, about 44 percent of respondents who personally saw a PA or accompanied someone else to an appointment with a PA in the past year reported a higher level of satisfaction with their healthcare. Almost all of these patients said they trusted their PA and received excellent service from their PA (93 percent). Other findings from this group supported PA care:
- 93 percent of respondents expect PAs to be part of the solution to the primary care shortage
- 92 percent could more easily get an appointment at a practice with a PA
- 91 percent reported PAs improved quality of care
- 83 percent reported PAs increased patient satisfaction
- 87 percent felt they can count on receiving high quality care every time they see a PA
- 91 percent felt PAs improved patient health outcomes
- 93 percent felt PAs could explain things about the care patients received in a way they could understand
- 83 percent reported their PA helps them understand how to prevent illness
More articles on the physician shortage:
Is the physician shortage real? 5 things to consider
Which states need the most primary care physicians to end their shortage?
Florida lawmakers plan to fill physician gap with nurse practitioners