Patient satisfaction with radiologist assistants.

PURPOSE: Patient satisfaction with other midlevel providers has been thoroughly examined, but patient satisfaction with radiologist assistants (RAs) has yet to be explored. The goal of this study was to determine the level of patient satisfaction with the care provided by RAs in the United States. METHODS: Patient satisfaction was measured using a custom-designed satisfaction survey. Twenty RAs volunteered to distribute surveys to patients, or family members of patients, who had diagnostic or therapeutic procedures performed in a variety of clinic or hospital radiology settings. Demographic and procedural data also were collected, and results were tabulated from 359 completed self-administered surveys. RESULTS: Respondents were satisfied with the care they or a family member received from the RA. The mean score for overall satisfaction was 4.89 on a 5-point Likert scale. The mean score in the domain of communication was 4.83. The score for RA professionalism was 4.91. RAs scored highly across all categories of procedures performed. No statistically significant differences were noted with overall patient satisfaction based on patient age and gender, procedure type, and whether the respondent was a family member or patient. No differences in responses were noted based on the RA's years of experience, facility size, or location. DISCUSSION: This study indicated a high level of patient satisfaction with health care services provided by RAs in diagnostic and interventional imaging procedures. In general, surveyed respondents rated RAs highly for their professionalism and thoroughness. This study also demonstrated that RAs who volunteered for the study are performing a variety of radiologic and interventional procedures with high overall patient satisfaction, that RAs perform procedures in a multitude of hospital and clinic settings in various geographic regions, and that they work with patients of all ages. CONCLUSION: Results showed that patients gave RAs a high overall satisfaction rating for all the procedures performed. These findings are consistent with patient satisfaction surveys of other types of physician extenders in medicine. The instrument, methods, and findings of this study can be used as initial data for the continued evaluation and monitoring of the RA's role in health care.

Quality of HIV care provided by non-physician clinicians and physicians in Mozambique: a retrospective cohort study

Objectives: To compare HIV care quality provided by non-physician clinicians (NPC) and physicians. Design: Retrospective cohort study assessing the relationship between provider cadre and HIV care quality among non-pregnant adult patients initiating antiretroviral therapy (ART) in the national HIV care programme. Methods: Computerized medical records from patients initiating ART between July 2004 and October 2007 at two HIV public HIV clinics in central Mozambique were used to develop multivariate analyses evaluating differences in process and care continuity measures for patients whose initial provider was a NPC or physician. Results: A total of 5892 patients was included in the study, including 4093 (69.5%) with NPC and 1799 (30.5%) with physicians as initial providers. Those whose initial provider was a NPC were more likely to have a CD4 cell count 90-210 days [risk ratio (RR) 1.13, 1.04

Coding and billing for radiology physician extenders.

Correct coding and billing for services provided by physician extenders can be challenging and complex and it is critical that organizations perform these functions correctly to ensure compliance. Incident-to is the only provision that allows physicians to charge and be paid for services that they did not directly perform. It is important that individuals responsible for charge capture understand how incident-to may or may not apply in their organization. What extenders are allowed to do in their scope of service may not coincide with what is allowed from a billing perspective.

TRICARE Program; inclusion of anesthesiologist assistants as authorized providers; coverage of cardiac rehabilitation in freestanding cardiac rehabilitation facilities. Final rule.

This final rule establishes a new category of provider as an authorized TRICARE provider and it increases the settings where cardiac rehabilitation can be covered as a TRICARE benefit. It recognizes anesthesiologist assistants (AAs) as authorized providers under certain circumstances. It also authorizes cardiac rehabilitation services, which are already a covered TRICARE benefit when provided by hospitals, to be provided in freestanding cardiac rehabilitation facilities.

Physician assistants in interventional radiology practice.

Interventional radiology (IR) is a clinical subspecialty; as such, there is a large amount of direct patient care. However, until recently, this topic has not been a major focus in radiology training programs. Additionally, as interventional radiologists develop busier and busier practices, there is less time to spend with individual patients. Physician extenders such as physician assistants (PAs) represent an excellent way to improve clinical patient care. This article describes what PAs are and how they work together with physicians. It illustrates differences between PAs and other physician extenders and describes the duties that may be delegated to PAs in the IR setting.

Medicos durante la guerra contra triple alianza 1865-1870 / Physicians during Triple Alliance War 1865-1870 against

Son pocos los datos que se disponen con respecto a la Sanidad Militar que actuó en la guerra contra la triple alianza,algunos de ellos son que el cuerpo médico disponia de un cirujano mayor,tres medicos de primera clase,un farmaceutico(casi todos los extranjeros)y numerosos practicantes paraguayos.Los elementos de curación eran escasos pero la higiene implantado en el ejercito era muy rigurosa,consiguiendose gracias a esto,un estado sanitario relativamente buenolos hospitales de sangre eran improvisados en los campamentos de transpote de heridos y enfermos se realizaban en carretas