Niagara-on-the-Lake Local received the following letter about physician assistants.
What is a physician assistant and why does Niagara-on-the-Lake need one?
Physician assistants (PAs) are comprehensively trained medical professionals who work in collaboration with physicians and other team members to provide patient-centered care. PAs can work in any medical specialty, including family medicine, emergency medicine, pediatrics, and general surgery. Within their scope of practice, PAs can diagnose and treat patients, prescribe medications, perform medical procedures, and assist in surgery.
So, why does Niagara-on-the-Lake need to implement physician assistants? NOTL has nearly double the percentage of citizens aged 65 and older at 36.2 per cent compared to the provincial average of 18.5 per cent (Statistics Canada, 2023). Along with the senior population, the general population is growing exponentially. We see a healthcare crisis arising with the expanding and aging population coupled with the shortage of family physicians. Most family physicians in NOTL are either not accepting new patients, relocating to other areas, switching specialties, or retiring. This makes it difficult for newer residents to find a family doctor. Some senior residents who have lived in NOTL for years, or who have moved there for retirement, have been unsuccessful in finding a family doctor, forcing them to make trips back and forth to their previous place of residence (Sacco, 2024). This is problematic, especially for individuals with chronic diseases who are now more likely to end up in the hospital due to inconsistent care. PAs can help ease this strain on our healthcare system.
According to the Canadian Association of Physician Assistants, in primary care settings, PAs can be used for approximately 75 per cent of visits without the need to consult a physician (CAPA, 2024). When physicians were asked about working with a PA, 95% reported that the PA increased their own efficiency in providing care. PAs allow physicians to increase the number of patients they can treat in a day, which means that more residents in NOTL will receive care. This will ensure continuity of care, so that those with chronic conditions do not end up admitted. Senior residents will finally receive care where and when they need it, without having to travel back and forth to their old neighbourhoods. New residents will not have to wait months or years to find a family physician.
The PA profession is growing, with more PA education programs opening across the province, and seat numbers rising in existing programs. There is already more demand for PAs than the number of graduates each year. Although PAs can work in any specialty, they are trained as generalists and graduates are often drawn to primary care due to the diversity of patients. There are many family health teams and family physicians in NOTL that will greatly benefit from adding a PA to their practice. Adding a PA would also help reduce physician burnout and increase the number of patients treated per day. More importantly, residents would receive more efficient patient-centered care, feel listened to and cared for, and would be less likely to end up in the already overflowing hospitals.
Lara Fluri
PA student
University of Toronto
