Using PAs in prehospital environments to reduce ED and EMS overuse

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Emergency Medicine
• Chronic Disease Care

Background:

• Large city emergency medical services (EMS) and emergency departments (EDs) face significant burdens from patients with chronic diseases lacking consistent care options.
• A small group of frequent users, termed "superusers," disproportionately impacts EMS resources, especially in urban environments.
• EDs are ill-equipped for the continuous, long-term management required by chronic conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore how physician assistants are utilized by organizations to manage frequent users of emergency services with chronic diseases.
• To identify strategies for improving care coordination and reducing the burden on EMS and EDs.

Main Methods:

• Review of organizational practices employing physician assistants for chronic disease patient management.
• Analysis of the impact of physician assistant-led interventions on EMS utilization and patient outcomes.

Main Results:

• Physician assistants can effectively manage complex chronic disease patients, potentially reducing reliance on emergency services.
• Implementation of physician assistant roles can lead to more integrated and continuous care pathways.
• Data suggests a positive effect on EMS burden and patient access to appropriate chronic care.

Conclusions:

• Physician assistants represent a valuable resource for managing high-utilization patient populations with chronic diseases.
• Integrating physician assistants into care models can alleviate pressure on emergency departments and EMS.
• Further research should focus on scalable models for physician assistant-led chronic care management.