Emergency Room Expectations

Survey indicates 80% of patients expect to be attended to by physicians in EDs.
American Medical News (8/30, O'Reilly) reports, "Nurse practitioners and physician assistants account for at least 10% of outpatient visits and increasingly are being used to handle patient care in emergency departments." However, a new paper appearing in the American Journal of Bioethics reveals that "80% of patients expect to see a physician when they come to the ED." In addition, the "survey of 507 ED patients at three teaching hospitals in Pittsburgh and Dallas found that, even for a minor complaint such as a cold symptom, only 57% would agree to see a nurse practitioner and 53% would see a physician assistant." Respondents also "preferred to see a fully trained physician compared with a medical resident, but not by as wide a margin as their desire to avoid nonphysicians."