In a July 30 letter to AMA President Bruce Scott, MD, AAPA called for AMA to drop its campaign against advanced practice providers in an “effort to maintain outdated practices” and suggested a more collaborative approach to tackling provider shortages and strengthening U.S. healthcare.
AAPA’s letter asked AMA to respond to a meeting request between the two organizations by Aug. 30. AAPA sent an additional letter Sept. 3 after the August date was missed.
AAPA also highlighted a letter signed by more than 8,000 PAs sharing their concerns about AMA’s approach.
“The AMA’s rhetoric misrepresents the contributions of the nation’s 178,000 PAs and does not reflect the views of many physicians,” according to the PAs’ letter. “The most effective healthcare for people occurs when clinicians work together as a team, and many of our physician colleagues recognize and value the critical role PAs play in patient care and believe in the power of team-based care over preserving outdated hierarchies.”
AMA has argued against expanding scope of practice for PAs, saying that a lack of physician oversight could lead to compromised patient safety.
AAPA’s Sept. 3 letter highlighted findings from AAPA’s survey of more than 4,900 PAs, which the organization had conducted since the initial letter.
According to the survey, 96% of PAs said AMA’s campaign has had a negative effect on addressing workforce shortages in healthcare.
“It is clear from these findings that the AMA’s intentional use of misleading information about PAs’ ability to provide safe, high-quality care has serious consequences for our healthcare system and patients,” AAPA President Jason Prevelige, DMSc, and CEO Lisa Gables wrote in the Sept. 3 letter. “When patients are misled or misinformed about the qualifications and expertise of PAs, they may delay seeking care when a highly trained and qualified PA is available and able to treat them.”
Editor’s note: Becker’s has reached out to AMA for comment on AAPA’s letter and will update the article if more information becomes available.
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