title: Patient attitudes toward physicians' assistants.
abstract: A questionnaire administered to 200 patients in a midwestern multispecialty clinic showed patients often have little understanding of the role of physician's assistant in the health care system. They are often equally confused about his or her education and training. Nevertheless, patients are generally receptive to the physician's assistant if they feel he is closely supervised by the physician. Most patients prefer that the physician's assistant perform "routine" functions rather than make independent diagnostic and treatment decisions.
mesh_terms: D005194:Family Practice; D006801:Humans; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D010823:Physician Assistants; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires