As always, I am pleased to jump in with an opinion.
1) We have two full time PA's for two MD's. They more than carry their own weight financially. This seems to be the experience nationwide. I would think in Peds they might be even more useful with well kid checks and minor acute problems. In our practice, the PA's have developed their own patient following, and they see most of our walk-ins and occupational exams. Different practice profile for Peds vs. IM, but still a plus.
2) Having a PA may help loosen this up a bit, but lab/x-ray is always going to be the hangup. We can get a plain film and CBC result back within half an hour, but there is always going to have to be a cutoff time. Make yours realistic so that you can plan to get out the door on time almost without exception (else why have gone electronic in the first place?)
3) I am almost certainly "that person" you refer to above. There are degrees of annoyance which start to get in the way of my providing care. Some patients are just plain oligophrenic, and we put up with a lot from them, considering them a challenge. But then there is the lawyer whom we sent to collections for a $300 bill, wants three prescription extentions for his thyroid because he is "too busy" to get a TSH, and is demanding things be done to his schedule. I am sufficiently annoyed that if his behavior does not change after a chat, he will be asked to go elsewhere. In short, there are people who are dumb but trying their best, and people who are rude, entitled and just plain willfully bad. I have an obligation to the former, but not the latter IMHO.
Last edited by dgrauman; 10/24/2011 3:03 PM.
