Physician Assistants Improve Efficiency and Decrease Costs in Outpatient Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

Physician Assistants in Plastic Surgery: A Descriptive Analysis Using the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants Dataset

ABSTRACT

Physician assistants (PAs) play a vital role in the US health care system, particularly amid the persistent surgeon shortage and escalating health care demands. We aim to characterize the current cohort of PAs in plastic surgery by comparing them to PAs in all other specialties. Using a cross-sectional analysis of the 2022 National Commission on Certification of PAs dataset, we examined demographic and practice characteristics of PAs in plastic surgery with those in all other specialties. Analysis included descriptive and bivariate statistics. In 2022, 1.0% of PAs worked in plastic surgery, with the specialty's numbers nearly doubling from 2015 (n = 647) to 2022 (n = 1186). Bivariate analysis among PAs in plastic surgery and those in other settings revealed several important attributes (all P's < 0.001); PAs in plastic surgery were younger (median age, 36 vs 39), identified as female (91.0% vs 69.4%), resided in urban locations (97.6% vs 92.5%), and performed a higher proportion of clinical procedures (66.5% vs 33.9%). Furthermore, a statistically significant higher percentage of PAs in plastic surgery reported high job satisfaction and was more likely to report no symptoms of professional burnout. The expanding PA profession amid the scarcity of surgeons presents an ideal prospect for enhanced collaboration. In an era where surgeon burnout is increasingly common and PAs express a readiness to function at an advanced level, expanding PAs' role becomes desirable and imperative. This collaborative approach has the potential to address workforce challenges, elevate patient care, and enhance provider satisfaction.

Physicians working with physician assistants and nurse practitioners: perceived effects on clinical practice

Physicians in the United States are increasingly working with physician assistants (PAs) and nurse practitioners (NPs), but little is known about how they perceive working with PAs and NPs affects their clinical practice. We used a new national survey to examine physicians' perceptions of working with PAs and/or NPs on their patient volume, care quality, time use, and workload. Among our analytical sample of 5823 physicians, 59% reported working with PAs and/or NPs. Most reported that PAs and NPs positively affected their clinical practice. Among several findings, physicians working in medical schools and with higher incomes were more likely to indicate that PAs improve their clinical practices in all 4 aspects, while being in specialties with higher women's representation was associated with lower ratings for working with PAs. Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander physicians and those with higher incomes were more likely to signify that NPs improved their clinical practices in all 4 aspects. These findings provide valuable insights, from the physicians' perspective, on care delivery reform.

Advancements in oral and maxillofacial surgery medical images segmentation techniques: An overview

OBJECTIVES

This article reviews recent advances in computer-aided segmentation methods for oral and maxillofacial surgery and describes the advantages and limitations of these methods. The objective is to provide an invaluable resource for precise therapy and surgical planning in oral and maxillofacial surgery. Study selection, data and sources: This review includes full-text articles and conference proceedings reporting the application of segmentation methods in the field of oral and maxillofacial surgery. The research focuses on three aspects: tooth detection segmentation, mandibular canal segmentation and alveolar bone segmentation. The most commonly used imaging technique is CBCT, followed by conventional CT and Orthopantomography. A systematic electronic database search was performed up to July 2023 (Medline via PubMed, IEEE Xplore, ArXiv, Google Scholar were searched).

RESULTS

These segmentation methods can be mainly divided into two categories: traditional image processing and machine learning (including deep learning). Performance testing on a dataset of images labeled by medical professionals shows that it performs similarly to dentists' annotations, confirming its effectiveness. However, no studies have evaluated its practical application value.

CONCLUSION

Segmentation methods (particularly deep learning methods) have demonstrated unprecedented performance, while inherent challenges remain, including the scarcity and inconsistency of datasets, visible artifacts in images, unbalanced data distribution, and the "black box" nature.

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE

Accurate image segmentation is critical for precise treatment and surgical planning in oral and maxillofacial surgery. This review aims to facilitate more accurate and effective surgical treatment planning among dental researchers.

Is Preoperative Urine Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG) Testing Necessary for Pediatric Patients Before Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Procedures With Sedation?

PURPOSE

Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) testing is performed prior to surgical procedures to ensure patient and fetal safety. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the utility of routine pregnancy testing prior to elective outpatient oral and maxillofacial surgery procedures being performed with intravenous sedation (IVS).

METHODS

A retrospective cohort study was implemented assessing hCG testing in postmenarche females who underwent elective outpatient oral surgery procedures scheduled with IVS at a tertiary care institution. Medical records were used to identify eligible subjects aged 12 to 45 years. The primary predictor variable was age, and the primary outcome variable was urine hCG test result. Age was divided into groups to reflect early adolescence (12 to 14 years), mid-adolescence (15 to 17 years), late adolescence/early adulthood (18 to 24 years) and adulthood (25+ years). Secondary outcome variables included inability to void for hCG testing, change in anesthetic, case cancellation or rescheduling and were measured over a 2 year period. Descriptive statistics were performed. Relative risk (RR) and Cochran-Armitage test for trend were calculated to determine the statistical significance of age on inability to void.

RESULTS

The sample consisted of 5,006 females, with a median age (IQR, range) of 18.0 (3.6, 12.0 to 43.6) years. There was one positive urine hCG result providing a preoperative pregnancy rate of 0.02%. Fourteen of 1,195 subjects (1.2%) over a 2 year period were unable to provide a urine hCG sample. There was a statistically significant trend in inability to void as age groups got older (P = .001). Patients aged 12 to 17 years had an increased risk of being unable to void compared to patients 18 years and older (RR: 14.30, 95% CI: 1.88 to 108.99, P = .01). The total cost of testing over the 11 year observation period was $9,019.59.

CONCLUSIONS

The risk of surgical cancellations and delayed care due to patients' inability to void preoperatively plus a lack of any positive preoperative urine hCG findings in patients under 18 years of age in this study, call into question the necessity of routine preoperative hCG screening in pediatric patients presenting for IVS for elective outpatient oral and maxillofacial procedures.

The cost-effectiveness of physician assistants/associates: A systematic review of international evidence

BACKGROUND

The global utilization of the physician assistant/associate (PA) is growing. Their increasing presence is in response to the rising demands of demographic changes, new developments in healthcare, and physician shortages. While PAs are present on four continents, the evidence of whether their employment contributes to more efficient healthcare has not been assessed in the aggregate. We undertook a systematic review of the literature on PA cost-effectiveness as compared to physicians. Cost-effectiveness was operationalized as quality, accessibility, and the cost of care.

METHODS AND FINDINGS

Literature to June 2021 was searched across five biomedical databases and filtered for eligibility. Publications that met the inclusion criteria were categorized by date, country, design, and results by three researchers independently. All studies were screened with the Risk of Bias in Non-randomised Studies-of Interventions (ROBIN-I) tool. The literature search produced 4,855 titles, and after applying criteria, 39 studies met inclusion (34 North America, 4 Europe, 1 Africa). Ten studies had a prospective design, and 29 were retrospective. Four studies were assessed as biased in results reporting. While most studies included a small number of PAs, five studies were national in origin and assessed the employment of a few hundred PAs and their care of thousands of patients. In 34 studies, the PA was employed as a substitute for traditional physician services, and in five studies, the PA was employed in a complementary role. The quality of care delivered by a PA was comparable to a physician's care in 15 studies, and in 18 studies, the quality of care exceeded that of a physician. In total, 29 studies showed that both labor and resource costs were lower when the PA delivered the care than when the physician delivered the care.

CONCLUSIONS

Most of the studies were of good methodological quality, and the results point in the same direction; PAs delivered the same or better care outcomes as physicians with the same or less cost of care. Sometimes this efficiency was due to their reduced labor cost and sometimes because they were more effective as producers of care and activity.

What is the Resident Perception of Physician Assistants in an Oral and Maxillofacial Training Program?

PURPOSE

Physician assistants (PAs) are not employed in a widespread manner in the academic oral and maxillofacial surgery setting despite being able to assist with resident workload. We aim to measure residents' perception of PAs employed by an academic oral and maxillofacial surgery department after the addition of 2 PAs to the department.

METHODS

The investigators conducted an anonymous cross-sectional survey study addressing resident perception of PA's on reducing their working hours, the scope of PA's role, and the positive and negatives of working with a PA. The survey was distributed to current oral and maxillofacial surgery residents, non-categorical interns, and recent graduates at Parkland Memorial Hospital and John Peter Smith Hospital between November 1, 2020 and January 31, 2021. A follow-up survey to collect demographic data was distributed between May 20, 2021 and June 10, 2021. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the results, with bootstrapping techniques to calculate 95% confidence intervals (CI).

RESULTS

Investigators contacted 54 residents and recent alumni, and 31 (57%) responded to the original survey and 32 responded to the follow-up survey. All respondents agreed that the addition of PAs decreased resident workload (100%; 95% CI). The majority stated PAs should assist with rounding on inpatients (61%; 95% CI), in hospital consultations (52%; 95% CI), clinic appointments (74%; 95% CI), and patient care coordination (97%; 95% CI). Only 29% (95% CI) stated that PAs should be assisting in the operating room.

CONCLUSION

The results of this study suggest that residents perceive the addition of PAs to the academic oral and maxillofacial surgery program to be beneficial when it comes to reducing overall workload and increasing potential educational opportunities, by assisting with care coordination, outpatient appointments, and inpatient rounding.

Advanced Practice Providers in Plastic Surgery

BACKGROUND

The aims of this article are to examine the scope of practice differences between physician assistant and nurse practitioner providers, to identify financial cost and benefits, and to posit the impact of physician extenders on plastic surgery practices.

METHODS

A review of the literature was performed using the PubMed database. Key words included "plastic surgery AND physician extender AND cost," "plastic surgery AND physician assistant AND cost," and "plastic surgery AND nurse practitioner AND cost." Secondarily, a search was performed for plastic surgery-related specialties of maxillofacial surgery, orthopedic surgery, and otolaryngology. Inclusion criteria consisted of any study design measuring the financial benefits associated with integrating physician extenders.

RESULTS

The PubMed search yielded 91 articles. Eight articles were ultimately included, of which four (plastic, maxillofacial, and orthopedic) discussed the impact of physician assistants and four (orthopedic and otolaryngology) discussed the impact of nurse practitioners. All eight studies demonstrated that integration of physician assistants and nurse practitioners into practices was associated with a net financial gain even after taking into account their overall costs, along with other outcomes such as productivity or time involvement.

CONCLUSIONS

As the number of physician extenders continues to grow, especially in subspecialties, plastic surgeons should be aware of their roles and the potentially positive impact of these providers, their respective training, and their quantifiable financial impact toward a plastic surgery practice. Both physician assistants and nurse practitioners appear to have a positive effect on costs in plastic surgery and plastic surgery-related practices.

Are Physician Associates Less-defined Force Multipliers? Comparative Role Definition of Physician Associates within the Hierarchy of Medical Professionals

Medical field has changed considerably with pressures added on mainly by soaring costs, a decline in the workforce strength and patient expectations. The solution that healthcare systems have come up with is the induction of physician associates (PAs) into the workforce. We aim to compare and contrast PAs with other members of the healthcare teams such as nurses, doctors and assistant physicians to demonstrate the vital role PAs play in the current healthcare environment. With the increased patient load and shrinking medical workforce, there are fears that chronic disease management in primary and secondary care will be threatened. Therefore, health policymakers thought of developing a new mid-level practitioner role (such as PAs, ANPs and APs) that will augment physicians to cater for ever-growing complex medical needs of the patients. The role of PAs is comparable to many healthcare professionals, and one can say that the success of PA programmes has paved the way for the development of different other mid-level practitioner development initiatives. All these roles are there to support primary and secondary care physicians in both inpatient and outpatient settings in helping the patients. PAs are a force multiplier within the healthcare sector and can be seen as a valid solution to staff shortages faced by the healthcare systems around the world. We recommend further studies looking into different aspects of the role of a PA that could further provide our readers with clarity with regard to PAs.

Utilizing a Physician Scribe in a Pediatric Plastic Surgical Practice: A Time-driven Activity-based Costing Study

To use time-driven activity-based costing methodology to compare the costs of routine pediatric plastic surgical patient visits with and without a physician scribe.

Are Office-Based Oral and Maxillofacial Surgical Procedures Profitable? A Benefit-Cost Analysis

PURPOSE

Although many oral and maxillofacial surgical (OMS) procedures might seem to be profitable, no current data have analyzed the costs versus benefits of performing office-based OMS procedures. The purpose of the present study was to analyze the costs of performing 6 common office-based OMS procedures compared with the reimbursement rates for those same procedures.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The present study was a cross-sectional, microcosting survey analyzing the costs of materials used in the outpatient Oral-Maxillofacial Surgery clinic at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. The costs incurred were based on dental procedure coding and national statistical databases and not on actual patient interactions. The primary predictor variable was the procedure costs for 6 commonly performed outpatient OMS procedures using 3 types of trays: a simple tray, a surgical tray, and an implant tray. The ancillary materials were listed for as-needed use for each tray. The primary outcome variable was the revenue after expenses per procedure. Descriptive statistics were computed. The net profit or net loss of performing 6 commonly performed outpatient OMS procedures was analyzed by subtracting the cost of performing the procedure from the insurance reimbursement for those procedures.

RESULTS

Without the addition of sedation to the procedures, routine extractions had a net loss of $230 to $261, surgical extractions had a net loss of $153 to $242, and incision and drainage procedures had a net loss of $212 to $311. Furthermore, preprosthetic procedures had a net loss to net profit of -$269 to +$140, and pathologic procedures had a net loss to net profit of -$269 to +$326. Only implant procedures yielded a net profit of $847.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of the present study have demonstrated that not all routine OMS procedures are profitable when performed alone without the inclusion of additional procedures or sedation.

Drivers of Hospital Costs in the Self-Pay Facelift (Rhytidectomy) Patient: Analysis of Hospital Resource Utilization in 1890 Patients

INTRODUCTION

Rhytidectomy is one of the most commonly performed cosmetic procedures by plastic surgeons. Increasing attention to the development of a high-value, low-cost healthcare system is a priority in the USA. This study aims to analyze specific patient and hospital factors affecting the cost of this procedure.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective cohort study of self-pay patients over the age of 18 who underwent rhytidectomy using the Healthcare Utilization Cost Project National Inpatient Sample database between 2013 and 2014. Mean marginal cost increases patient characteristics, and outcomes were studied. Generalized linear modeling with gamma regression and a log-link function were performed along with estimated marginal means to provide cost estimates.

RESULTS

A total of 1890 self-pay patients underwent rhytidectomy. Median cost was $11,767 with an interquartile range of $8907 [$6976-$15,883]. The largest marginal cost increases were associated with postoperative hematoma ($12,651; CI $8181-$17,120), West coast region ($7539; 95% CI $6412-$8666), and combined rhinoplasty ($7824; 95% CI $3808-$11,840). The two risk factors associated with the generation of highest marginal inpatient costs were smoking ($4147; 95% CI $2804-$5490) and diabetes mellitus ($5622; 95% CI $3233-8011). High-volume hospitals had a decreased cost of - $1331 (95% CI - $2032 to - $631).

CONCLUSION

Cost variation for inpatient rhytidectomy procedures is dependent on preoperative risk factors (diabetes and smoking), postoperative complications (hematoma), and regional trends (West region). Rhytidectomy surgery is highly centralized and increasing hospital volume significantly decreases costs. Clinicians and hospitals can use this information to discuss the drivers of cost in patients undergoing rhytidectomy.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE V

This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

How electronic health records can unmask the hidden value of PAs

The Fee for Value (FFV) Task Force, a subgroup of the American Academy of PAs' Research and Strategic Initiatives Commission, has examined tools and mechanisms aimed at better clarifying the volume and value of PA work and how that work contributes to improving access to high-quality care. Establishing the value of PAs has been a challenging task for many healthcare providers. Often, PA value has been defined by their clinical productivity, without any clear direction as to what constitutes value versus productivity. The objective of this article is to unmask the value of PAs through the role of electronic health records and highlight PAs' ability to produce services that are value-oriented and quantifiably productive.