Physician assistants in gastroenterology: should they perform endoscopy?

New technology and increased screening examinations continue to cause the demand for gastrointestinal endoscopic procedures to mushroom. Hospitals administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs, public health care facilities, and health maintenance organizations struggle to meet this demand because of limited resources for expansion of space or staff. For the past 3 yr, we have used a physician assistant in our endoscopy laboratory to assist with and perform endoscopic procedures. The benefits for our hospital include increased staff efficiency, improved housestaff education, and ability to perform an increased number of procedures with existing staff.