Exploring the Impact of Physician Assistants on Orthopedic Surgery Service Efficiency: A Literature Review

Abstract

Introduction: Orthopedic surgery in Canada faces increasing patient volumes, long wait times, and a shortage of healthcare providers and resources. Physician Assistants (PAs) are increasingly becoming a consideration as a solution to improve healthcare delivery and surgical service efficiency, and continuity of care across the continuum of healthcare. Objectives: This literature review aims to evaluate the impact of PAs on efficiency metrics within orthopedic surgery services and discover what metrics could be positively affected. Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted using the University of Manitoba libraries, PubMed and MEDLINE Ovid databases. Inclusion criteria included peer-reviewed, published in English, within the past 25 years, and focus on physician assistants in the orthopedic surgery settings. Five studies – three Canadian and two American – met the criteria and were reviewed for common outcome themes. Results: Across five studies, PAs were found to have a positive impact which could be categorized into five main common themes. Increased surgical throughput and reduced wait times, operating room efficiency and surgeon time optimization, postoperative care and length of stay reduction, cost-effectiveness and resource optimization, and high patient and provider satisfaction. Conclusion: Physician assistants improve efficiency metrics such as surgical throughput, wait times, operating room efficiency, postoperative care, and provider/patient satisfaction, and provide a cost-effective solution to the challenges faced in orthopedic surgery in Canada. Future research should focus on Canadian multi-centre designs, and standardized outcome measures to further validate their impact.