Pretend Specialists
In our area, if you send a patient for a specialty evaluation, this is often what you get….In case you don’t understand the reference, check out these YouTube ads:
(Check them out, anyway! They’re hilarious!)
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After thought. I knew of a model a couple of years back proposed in one of the local medical schools. I do not know if it was attempted or not. PAs would prep and perform angiography with a cardiologist supervising several at a time from a distant location.
I retired last spring. Some of my patients called asking me to unretire. They are being seen by NPs or PAs at a rate of more visits than I had. Further some PCPs who used to refer to me but stopped have called asking me to unretire. It seems they get PAs or NPs seeing their patients and they are not satisfied.
I do chart reviews on personal injury cases now. I find many where the MD/DO cosigns the NP and PA notes. I am not clear of the diagnosis as exams will show sciatica but not include specifics. I just had one for a diagnosis of a cervical radiculopathy did not any extremity complaints or abnormal neurological findings. They were cleared for spinal procedures.
This is the status quo where I am. The hospital owns 90% of the specialist practices. When I send patients they are almost always seen by a PA/NP. I am rural so there is only one option for most specialties.
I just was just complaining about this later nite! The cardiologist group that I use has just started farming out evals to NP’s!
I’m going to insist that mynpatiwnts only see a cardiologist.nIf not I’ll be shopping elsewhere.