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Ophthalmology PAs in the Netherlands: A national survey
Gerlineke van der Stelt1, Chantal Boot-Brooijmans, Wietse G Wieringa
1Gerlineke van der Stelt practices ophthalmology at Beatrix Hospital in Gorinchem, the Netherlands. Chantal Boot-Brooijmans practices ophthalmology at Bravis Hospital in Roosendaal, the Netherlands. Wietse G. Wieringa practices ophthalmology at Ommelander Hospital Groningen in Scheemda, the Netherlands. The authors have disclosed no potential conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise.
Purpose:
To describe the educational background, practiced clinical disciplines and procedures, efficacy, and responsibility distribution of Dutch physician assistants (PAs) working in ophthalmology.
Methods:
An online survey was sent to and collected from PAs working in ophthalmology and ophthalmologists collaborating with PAs.
Results:
Of 85 ophthalmology PA and 15 ophthalmologist recipients, 36 PAs and 9 ophthalmologists completed the survey. The mean age of respondents was 39 years (range, 27-54), and 23 (63.9%) were female. Most PAs (97%) had a Bachelor of Science in optometry or orthoptics. All PAs (N = 36) were involved in managing patients with common ophthalmic conditions. On average, PAs worked 32.6 hours (range, 23-36) per week and added on average 77 full-time equivalents to the Dutch ophthalmology workforce. Ophthalmologists collaborating with PAs assessed PA autonomy with a mean score of 3.9 (on a scale from 0 to 5, with 0 being a low level of autonomy and 5 being a high level of autonomy).
Conclusion:
In the Netherlands, ophthalmology PAs may be considered a good partial solution for the shortage in eyecare professionals.
