title: Present condition analysis of physician assistant in Korea.
abstract: This study intended to identify the need for the legalization and development of a systematic program for physician assistants (PAs) by understanding the actual state of PA operation in hospitals. In 114 hospitals assigned as resident training hospitals for surgery, a survey was conducted on the personnel working as PAs in those hospitals; the survey included general personal information, working conditions, training time, and satisfaction. A total of 192 PAs in surgery at 35 hospitals responded to the survey. The types of PAs are Surgical Assistant, Clinical Physician Assistant, Wound Ostomy Care Nurse, Coordinator, and Clinical Research Coordinator. Types of work PAs preformed are surgical assistance, wound dressing, educating patients, overlooking consultation, doing paper works, writing operation records, and confirming examination results which were ordered. The satisfaction level for the position which PAs hold were 29.1% and and satisfaction level which doctors see towards PA was 15%. The role and the job descriptions of PAs are not clear cut, there are many discrepancies among hospitals we studied. As a result, legalization and the implementation of standardized role of PAs will lead to increase level of satisfactions in the work force and the quality of work which PAs perform will be greater.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Yong Hwa
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Eom
authors.forename: Gilbert Young Jin
authors.initials: GY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Sang Seol
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Kil Yeon
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Sung-Bum
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Ja Seong
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Bae
authors.forename: Hoon
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hur
authors.forename: Yong-Seong
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.forename: Hyuk-Joon
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Dong-Sup
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.forename: Wonshik
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: In Kyu
authors.initials: IK
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D013502:General Surgery; D006801:Humans; D007587:Job Description; D008297:Male; D010823:Physician Assistants / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D056910:Republic of Korea; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D016526:Workload