Is your "Doctor" a Physician? H.R. 451, the Healthcare Truth and Transparency Act

[joanna.nola]

So I signed a few petitions on a consumer protection website over the years and occasionally they try to get me to sign more petitions. They have sent me 3 emails recently (more than they have forwarded any other petition) about signing a petition to protect patients against non-doctors. I can't help but think it is directed at NPs (probably more specifically with the talk of "doctor"), but also at PAs. Anyone know anything about this? The petition relates to H.R. 451, the Healthcare Truth and Transparency Act, which has been sitting around in Congress for a while, from my brief internet research.

Here is the petition: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takea...?z00m=20345171

Here is more info on the act: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c112:H.R.451:

With the bombarding of my inbox, you know someone (some doctor group?) is spending big money to astroturf a movement for this. Their goal is 50K signatures. They are at 37K.

What do y'all think about this?

[JMPA]

Interesting. Not suprising that there are physicians who feel "threatened" by other professions. A Physician Assistant's greatest ememy is a spiteful, misinformed MD. They should require all MD's to take classes on understanding the roles of allied health professionals. This bill is a witchhunt. They seem to be attacking licensed practicioners. Where is the AAPA stand on this?

[akdem]

Do you think that the misinformed, spiteful MD is something of a dying breed? I'm sure they will always exist, but it seems like the new crop of MDs that come into the the system knowing about PAs (and NPs) will be much easier to work with than the older ones who feel like we've encroached on their territory.

That being said... If they really are just going after securing the "doctor" title, I would support them 100%. It sounds like their beef is with DNPs, not PAs who introduce themselves as such.

[JMPA]

AKDEM that is not true,i have been a rpac for a long time and have worked at several large medical centers. most if not all of the older mds are quite accepting. there is a shortage of mds, so how are we "encroaching"? this is directed at all allied health including DO. it's only going to make our lives more difficult. we (pa, np, do) are all licensed medical practitioners. what more do we need to prove? why do we need to "protect" patients from pa/np/do licensed practitioners? if so concerned about the title of doctor, why not make a fair bridge program?

[True Anomaly]

Agree that I don't feel threatened by this at all. That being said, this petition does seem rather silly. And I can see if this legislation passes the implications it could mean for us.

The comments posted by some of the petition signers just highlight the confusion in the general public about healthcare professionals. One person listed how a doctor 'killed my mother by stopping a medication without consulting a cardiologist", but still signed the petition clearly aimed at protecting doctors? Another posted this: "I want to know that my physician is properly qualified in the speciality advertised. I want to know that I'm dealing with a real MD or Do." Could be interpreted both ways- either as "I want a real MD, not a DO", or "I want a real MD/DO physician".

[Hemegroup]

Haha a sports physical patient came in the other day with a form that said, "Must be signed by an MD only". I showed it to the Doc and we laughed ... could they at least get the grammar correct?? I didn't realize writing was supposed to be phonetic lol ... An Medical Doctor? No, An EM-D!

[weezianna]

This is what I received from the Care2 website:

Hi Louise, When you visit a doctor, you're usually not feeling your best. You're probably anxious and full of questions about your health. It's not the time for any uncertainty about your health care provider. Demand transparency from health professionals. Make sure you're seeing a qualified medical doctor » It's confusing to understand all the different levels of education and training that health professionals must complete in order to be qualified to treat certain conditions. To protect patients, it is crucial that providers advertise their qualifications truthfully. We must be able to make informed decisions about our own health. Patients have the right to know the truth. Push Congress to support truth in advertising so that you can make an educated decision about your health care provider. » Thanks for taking action! Colleen H. Care2 and ThePetitionSite Team

[akdem]

I was asking a question and posing a theory, not trying to state a fact. I have no doubt that the vast majority of docs you have worked with have been very accepting of PAs. I was just supposing that maybe a doc who entered a system where PAs had already been thriving long before he got there would be more likely to play nicely.

I agree with you that we should have nothing left to prove. I don't really understand how they can feel they are being encroached upon when we are filling a very obvious need that doctors simply can't meet. I don't think this petition amounts to much, though. Short of forcing every practitioner to be "an MD," what can they really do to a PA who makes no claims of being a doctor in any way? It seems like they're just asking for transparency, not an end to non-MD practitioners. At least I hope so...

[ToppDog]

Haha a sports physical patient came in the other day with a form that said, "Must be signed by an MD only". I showed it to the Doc and we laughed ... could they at least get the grammar correct?? I didn't realize writing was supposed to be phonetic lol ... An Medical Doctor? No, An EM-D!

LOL! Actually, I could kinda give them a pass on that one, but what really bugs me is when I see them misuse a/an in front of a word that is completely spelled out & they should know better, such as "a anesthesiologist" or "an pathologist".

Sometimes it seemes like this is coming from highly educated people who seem to be applying the correct rule incorrectly, by applying it to the noun instead of the adjective directly following the a/an, as in "an cranky anesthesiologist" or "a eccentric pathologist" which ticks me off even more.

[chatcat]

What do y'all think about this?

I think most state medical boards already have provisions for such proper identification of credentials in place for PAs. This shouldn't be seen as a threat to Pas or other health professionals as stated in the act. I'll gladly publicize my credentials for patients.

[swooshie1]

I'm wondering how legit these kinds of petitions can be, especially if this is supposedly going to be aimed at the US Congress, when there are signed petitioners from: Brazil, Spain, Italy, UK, Finland, Czech Republic, South Africa, and so on ... skip to p. 804 and you'll see what I'm talking about. How does THAT work?

[primadonna22274]

DOs are physicians, not allied health.
For that matter PAs are not allied health either but medical staff, despite our constant miscategorization.

QUOTE=JMPA;346731]AKDEM that is not true,i have been a rpac for a long time and have worked at several large medical centers. most if not all of the older mds are quite accepting. there is a shortage of mds, so how are we "encroaching"? this is directed at all allied health including DO. it's only going to make our lives more difficult. we (pa, np, do) are all licensed medical practitioners. what more do we need to prove? why do we need to "protect" patients from pa/np/do licensed practitioners? if so concerned about the title of doctor, why not make a fair bridge program?[/QUOTE]

[EMEDPA]

Actually most of the docs I know who have "issues" with pa's at this point are younger docs right out of residency who have never worked with a pa before. the older docs, at least in em, have accepted us. there are some old, cranky IM hospitalists but they are a dying breed.

[joanna.nola]

Personally, I'd love if this congressional act required an education campaign letting patients know what PAs are so when we introduce ourselves as "Physician Assistant" we don't then need to spend the patient's (and our) time explaining and justifying ourselves.