A medical assistant , also known as a "clinical assistant" or healthcare assistant in the US is an allied health professional who supports the work of physicians , nurse practitioners , physician assistants and other health professionals, usually in a clinic setting. Medical assistants can become certified through an accredited program. Medical assistants perform routine tasks and procedures in a medical clinic.
128-421: A "medical assistant" may be certified or registered, or may be a loosely defined group (covering related occupational titles such as "medical office assistant", "clinical assistant", "assistant medical officer", or "ophthalmic assistant"). The occupation should not be confused with physician assistants , who are licensed professionals trained to practice medicine and perform surgical procedures in collaboration with
256-605: A British colony in 1928, Kenya started training a select group of natives to practice medicine and care for the local population who were increasingly accepting and seeking western medicine. After independence from Britain in 1963, medical training in Kenya initially adopted the four-year medical school system used in the US rather than the six-year UK model. This was heavily influenced by the Kennedy Airlift which followed initial funding by
384-411: A hospitalist and one who has specialized in a clinical field provides advanced medical and surgical care and treatment such as administering anesthesia, performing general or specialised surgery, supervising other health workers and other administrative duties. A clinical officer's scope of practice depends on one's training and experience, jurisdiction and workplace policies. In Malawi, for instance,
512-703: A trainer . Clinical Officer (CO) is a protected professional title and its use by unregistered persons is prohibited by law and punishable by up to five years in jail with or without a fine. Globally, the title may not have legal restrictions and can refer to a job grade rather than a medical qualification such as junior assistive clinical staff (e.g. in Zambia and Tanzania ), licensed medical professionals (e.g. in Kenya and Malawi ) or high-level corporate officers, directors , and managers (e.g. Chief Clinical Officers in Europe and
640-786: A PA could use the title Dr if they hold a recognised Level 8 qualification when in an academic context/environment, but not in the clinical setting. The British Medical Association highlighted a number of activities that they felt PAs should not be undertaking. Perform, train in, or consent others for invasive or life-threatening procedures including: Formally report imaging in any modality including: Approve, vet, or protocol imaging in any modality including: Perform, train in, or consent for invasive of life-threatening procedures including: Lead or coordinate MDT meetings Interpret imaging for MDT meetings. Auxiliary roles within an intervention theatre: Perform, train in, or consent for: Respiratory: Clinical oncology: Should not perform any of
768-454: A Phase-2 trial of PAs who worked for a period of two years (2013–2015) in four clinical settings. Specifically, the sites included one rural emergency department and three primary care settings (two rural and one urban) located on the North and South Islands of New Zealand. At conclusion of the trial, several clinics continued to employ PAs while the process of health regulation makes its way through
896-1278: A certificate or a diploma, which take around one year to complete, or an associate degree, which takes around two years. Study topics include medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, and programs may include a clinical internship, sometimes referred to as "externship", wherein the student works as a medical assistant in a medical clinic. In Bangladesh, medical assistants are known as Sub Assistant Community Medical Officer (SACMO).They complete Diploma in Medical Faculty (DMF) course of 4 years duration (3 years academic + 1 year internship) from The State Medical Faculty of Bangladesh. In this academic year they study Basic Anatomy, Basic Pathology and Microbiology, Basic Pharmacology, Basic Medicine and Paediatrics, Basic Surgery, Basic Gynecology and Obstetrics, Basic Community Medicine and Health Management, and other medical subjects. They play an important role in providing medical services in upazila health complexes and remote areas. Medical assistants are produced by Medical Assistants Training School (MATS).They are allowed to prescribe 73 type of medicine and also allowed perform minor surgery and midwifery practice. They get registration from Bangladesh Medical and Dental Council as
1024-429: A clinical officer (6) have a medical practice licence (7) complete a three-year period of clinical supervision under a senior clinical officer or a senior medical officer (8) have a practising certificate if they have a private practice which allows one to provide general medical services on their own directly to the public (9) undergo one or two additional years of specialized training (optional) and (10) become
1152-541: A clinical officer is the officer in-charge of a health center or a district hospital and is part of the medical team in bigger hospitals where one may head a department or work under a senior clinical officer or a physician. Clinical officers are direct healthcare providers who manage and administer health institutions, medical schemes and projects in primary healthcare (PHC) settings and are frontline stakeholders in Universal Health Coverage in Kenya which
1280-534: A clinical officer one requires at least four years of full-time medical training, supervised clinical practice and internship at an accredited medical training institution and hospitals and registration with the relevant medical board in their country. After a prescribed number of years in active practice, one may complete a further one or two-year residency programme in order to specialize in any approved branch of clinical medicine and surgery such as anesthesia or pediatrics , or get an advanced medical qualification from
1408-448: A clinical officer performs all routine surgical and obstetric operations such as exploratory laparatomy, emergency orthopaedics and Caesarean section . However, in Kenya, Tanzania and Mozambique one has to undergo further specialized training in order to perform such major operations safely. In rural and small urban health facilities a clinical officer is usually the highest medical care provider and works with minimal resources, relying on
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#17330925525781536-546: A code of practice. Despite all initial indicators showing that the new profession would be successfully integrated into the health care system, in 2013 it was reported that the progress had floundered resulting in the majority of PAs in Australia being unemployed. As of 2024, there are approximately 1000 physician assistants working in healthcare settings in Canada. The first formally trained physician assistants graduated in 1984 from
1664-466: A comprehensive nine trimester programme of full-time study, practicals and examinations which are covered over three years leading to a fourth mandatory year of internship in a teaching hospital. A fifth and sixth residency specialisation years are undertaken after registration by the Clinical Officers Council and three years of work experience in general medicine which leads to the award of
1792-491: A compulsory one-year hospital internship programme and completion of a further three-year period of clinical supervision .. Required for registration and licensing by the Clinical Officers Council and membership of the Kenya Clinical Officers Association . Required for private practice or specialization Required for registration and licensing by the Clinical Officers Council and membership of
1920-483: A cystoscopy despite symptoms of a urinary infection. He received no antibiotics for the infection or as prophylaxis after the procedure. He died less than 48 hours later. The Physician Associate involved then took part into the investigation of their own practice in the case. The Faculty of Physician Associates is the professional body for Physician Associates working in the United Kingdom. A joint venture between
2048-444: A degree of autonomy, negotiated and agreed on by the supervising physician(s) and the PA. PAs can work in any clinical setting to extend physician services. PAs complement existing services and aid in improving patient access to health care. A relationship with a supervising physician is essential to the role of the PA. " Physician assistants may be compared to the role of nurse practitioner by
2176-476: A demotivated and low quality workforce and resulting poor health indicators. The United States' Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other international health and research institutions make extensive use of COs in their projects in Africa and clinical officers have been the backbone of HIV care and treatment enabling the rollout of ARVS to even the most rural hard to reach areas in Africa. Research done by
2304-458: A general degree in clinical medicine or a specialist diploma in pediatrics , orthopedics , psychiatry , anaesthesia , reproductive health and other specialties. A clinical officer is therefore able to graduate and join the workforce in a minimum of four calendar years and provides medical services within the full scope of family and emergency medicine or within a narrower scope depending on their area of specialisation. Registration by
2432-482: A licence to practice medicine, a situation that has resulted to major strikes by clinical officers in the past leading to operation standstills in public hospitals when these strikes occur. On passing the final qualifying examination, they take the hippocratic oath then apply for provisional registration by the Clinical Officers Council, the statutory body that regulates the practice of clinical officers in
2560-580: A licence to practice under his own name as a private medical practitioner. The BSc. Clinical Medicine and Surgery degree was later introduced in 2006. Clinical officers play a central role in Kenya's medical sector today. There were 8,600 clinical officers on the register in 2010 compared to 7,100 medical officers. They are trained by the universities, the Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC), St. Mary's School of Clinical Medicine and other private institutions. The Ministry of Health, through
2688-677: A medical assistant practitioner. In Canada, medical assistants typically complete an educational program that prepares them to perform special assisting and secretarial duties for physicians, dentists, nurses, health care facilities, and other health service providers. Instructional programs include courses in business and medical communications, medical terminology, principles of health care operations, public relations and interpersonal communications, software applications, record-keeping and filing systems, scheduling and meeting planning, policies and regulations, and professional standards and ethics. Medical assistant job responsibilities vary depending on
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#17330925525782816-567: A medical assisting curriculum at a school that accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA), or possess a minimum of five years experience. The National Center for Competency Testing (NCCT) is an independent credentialing organization that has administered more than 400,000 certification exams across the United States since 1989. Its National Certified Medical Assistant certification program has earned accreditation by
2944-491: A medical doctor. However, due to the shorter training period when compared to medical officers (i.e. 4 years instead of 6 years), a clinical officer joins the public service at a lower grade and gains seniority through experience, additional training or further education. Like the term medical officer , the term clinical officer is a protected title whose use without the authority of the Clinical Officers Council
3072-651: A national WHO -recommended database at the Ministry of Health which receives and tracks health workload, performance and disease surveillance data from all public and private health facilities in the 47 counties . Clinical officers also run private practices using a license issued to them by the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council . Career options for clinical officers include general practice , specialty practice , health administration , community health and postgraduate training and research in
3200-932: A pharmacy, draw blood , prepare patients for X-rays , take electrocardiograms , remove sutures, and change dressings. They also facilitate communication between the patient and other health care professionals. Some jurisdictions allow medical assistants to perform more advanced procedures, such as giving injections or taking X-rays, after passing a test or taking a course. According to the International Standard Classification of Occupations , medical assistants normally require formal training in health services provision for competent performance in their jobs. Formal education usually occurs in post secondary institutions such as vocational schools , technical institutes , community colleges , proprietary colleges , online educational programs or junior colleges . Medical assistant training programs most commonly lead to
3328-573: A physician. Medical assistants perform routine clinical and administrative duties under the direct supervision of a physician or other health care professional. Medical assistants perform many administrative duties, including answering telephones, greeting patients, updating and filing patients' medical records, filling out insurance forms, handling correspondence, scheduling appointments, arranging for hospital admission and laboratory services, performing some quasi- secretarial duties, and handling billing and book keeping . Duties vary according to laws of
3456-478: A principal healthcare provider . In many states PAs are required to have a direct agreement with a physician . In the UK, PAs were introduced in 2003. They support the work of the healthcare team, but are dependent clinicians requiring supervision from a physician. They cannot prescribe medications nor request ionising radiation investigations (e.g., x-ray) in the UK. PAs are widely used in Canada. The model began during
3584-425: A registered medical assistant (RMA). Credentialing is voluntary. The American Medical Technologists (AMT) agency is responsible for certifying MAs who choose this course. The AMT first began offering this certification in 1972. AMT has its own conventions and committees, bylaws, state chapters, officers, registrations, and re validation examinations. To become eligible to hold the title of RMA, a student must either pass
3712-787: A senior clinical, administrative or teaching position within their organisation or establishes and manages his/her own private practice. One who holds the Diploma in Clinical Medicine and Surgery can upgrade his/her qualification to the BSc. Clinical Medicine and Surgery or undertake postgraduate training at the university. One may also enroll for the Higher Diploma programme at the Kenya Medical Training College. The Higher Diploma in Clinical Medicine and Surgery requires at least three years of working experience and lasts twelve to eighteen months leading to
3840-488: A separate board (in the eastern countries such as Kenya and Uganda ). The broad nature of medical training prepares one to work at all levels of the health care system . Most work in primary care health centres and clinics, and casualty departments in hospitals where one will diagnose and treat all common diseases, including serious and life-threatening ones, in all age groups; and stabilise then admit, discharge or refer emergency cases. In smaller hospitals one may work as
3968-582: A similar level by becoming Assistant Medical Officers (AMOs) or Medical Licentiates (MLs)."medical assistants/Sub Assistant Community Medical Officer" in Bangladesh , a Four Year medical diploma course conducting state medical faculty of Bangladesh under ministry of Health and family welfare. A clinician can specialize in any other field that is deemed appropriate by them and not just clinical medicine. China also has masters of clinical medicine. In countries like Tanzania, UK, and other countries, clinical medicine
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4096-455: A supervising clinician. There is special emphasis on primary care with modules on community health taught throughout the course. Before starting their internship after the third year, clinical officers spend at least one month in a Provincial Rural Health Training Centre where they immunize children, examine pregnant women and offer family planning services in mother and child health clinics. They also treat in-patients and out-patients under
4224-579: A year. In the U.S., an institution's medical assisting program may be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) or the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES) if its graduates plan to become certified or registered. Accreditation is a requirement of certification agencies such as the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA),
4352-442: Is a way to measure competency of a medical assistant at an entry-level job. Certification for medical assistants is voluntary and optional, though encouraged by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA) and a number of other certification bodies. Employers increasingly prefer or even require that the medical assistants they hire be certified. In the United States, different organizations certify medical assistants. For one,
4480-535: Is any public officer who is entitled to be registered as a medical practitioner if he applied under any law in the country: Section 14(1) of the Medical Practitioners and Dentists Act and Section 7(4) of the Clinical Officers Act are the only two laws that can authorize one to practice medicine and render medical or dental services in the public sector if they hold a registration certificate or in
4608-411: Is available online on the Clinical Officers Council and Ministry of Health websites. The Clinical Officers (Training, Registration and Licensing) Act No.20 of 2017 is the law that governs the medical practice of a clinical Officer. It establishes the Clinical Officers Council whose functions are to: Although training programmes existed as early as 1928, the first university to train clinical officers
4736-476: Is completed in nine 15-week trimesters over three calendar years (or 135 weeks which, notably, exceeds the minimum 130 weeks of instruction required to complete US MD programs). The BSc. Clinical Medicine and Surgery is completed over 4 years. Students study the biomedical and clinical sciences such as anatomy , physiology and pathology in the first year followed by the clinical subjects ( medicine , surgery , pediatrics , obstetrics and gynecology ) in
4864-547: Is eligible for registration as a medical practitioner under Section 11(1) of the Medical Practitioners and Dentists Act in addition to being expressly authorized to practice medicine, surgery or dentistry by Section 7(4) of the Clinical Officers Act Criminal Appeal 198 of 2008 - Kenya Law Criminal Case 6 of 2004 - Kenya Law CAP. 249 From the Anatomy Act , the legal definition of a medical officer
4992-523: Is no nationally agreed upon scope of practice for Physician Associates in the United Kingdom as of 2024, despite them working in the United Kingdom for over a decade. In early 2024, the British Medical Association published their recommendations for doctors supervising PAs in an effort to formulate a scope of practice aligned to the education received by PAs. The six core principles of this guidance are: Points five and six are aligned to
5120-433: Is now changing. Medical assistants now find employment in both private and public hospitals , inpatient and outpatient facilities, as well as assisted living facilities, administrative and clinical settings, or general practice and specialty doctor's offices. According to the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Outlook Handbook , 2014–15 Edition, employment of medical assistants is expected to grow by 29%, much faster than
5248-445: Is one of the key pillars of the government's 5-year development plan under President Uhuru Kenyatta . The four pillars of the 5-year development plan are 1. Manufacturing 2. Affordable housing 3. Universal Health Coverage and 4. Food security . In Kenya's public health system, a clinical officer is an alternative practitioner who is trained and authorized by law to perform any technical, administrative or legal duties that require
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5376-417: Is optional for PAs. In the United Kingdom, PAs are dependent practitioners, and they must practice under the supervision of a physician. They perform some tasks relating to diagnosis, taking medical histories, ordering and interpreting laboratory tests. PAs cannot legally request ionising radiation investigations such as a CT scan or radiographs, they also cannot legally prescribe any medications. There
5504-581: Is planned. Israeli PA education is modeled after United States' and Netherlands' approaches, and has focused on former paramedics with bachelor's degrees. As of 2022, the 100 or so PAs in Israel work exclusively within Emergency Departments. While PA scope of practice includes many emergency procedures, Israeli PAs are not currently allowed to prescribe or administer medicine in non-emergency settings. In February 2015, Health Workforce New Zealand completed
5632-400: Is prohibited and a punishable offense under Kenyan laws. Court rulings uphold that a registration certificate or a licence issued by the council automatically confers the status of a medical officer or a qualified medical practitioner to a clinician and the titles are used interchangeably in medico-legal documents because a qualified clinical officer has a recognized medical qualification and
5760-453: Is regarded as a medical course and graduates are allowed to apply to masters of medicine specialties. No significant difference has been demonstrated in studies comparing treatment decisions, patient outcomes, quality of care provided and level of knowledge about diseases between a clinical officer and a medical officer (a non-specialist physician) except in countries where nurses were mistakenly assessed as clinical officers. However, because of
5888-448: Is regulated by the Health and Social Care Act, which explicitly legislates the protected professional titles of the registered healthcare professionals that can undertake the regulated activities of providing treatment. In 2022 it was reported that private company Operose Health, owned by US company Centene Corporation , which had acquired many UK National Health Service (NHS) GP practices,
6016-647: Is required for registration. After registration one is required to apply for a licence from the COC which allows them to practice medicine, surgery and dentistry legally in the country. This licence is renewable every two years. Renewal requires evidence of having attained 60 Continuous Professional Development (CPD) points in the CPD diary by further training, research and publications, attending conferences and Continuing Medical Education (CME) sessions or major ward rounds and outreach activities. An experienced clinical officer usually holds
6144-491: Is shorter than a medical degree required to become a physician. It also typically does not involve residency training , although this is increasingly offered in a variety of specialties. Renewal of certification is usually required every few years, varying by jurisdiction. In 1961, Charles Hudson recommended that the American Medical Association create new medical provider certifications. Eugene A. Stead of
6272-562: Is usually the lowest entry-level cadre in the medical hierarchy but with years of experience and/or further training one can rise to the same or a higher grade than a physician. In most countries, however, wages are usually low compared to training and responsibilities and career progression is usually restricted by awarding terminal degrees and diplomas, training students who have not attained the minimum university entry grade and, in some countries, not awarding any degree or recognition for advanced training. In such countries, this usually results in
6400-530: The African-American Students Foundation (AASF) in 1959 and led to hundreds of young Kenyan students getting scholarships to study in American institutions: These students came back to Kenya after their studies and joined the civil service in the early post-independence Kenya . It was also around this time that the first DOs were accepted as medical officers by the US civil service and by 1967
6528-631: The American Medical Technologists (AMT) and the National Health Career Association (NHA). Currently there are in excess of 600 CAAHEP accredited programs in more than 500 institutions, and more than 200 accredited by ABHES. Accreditation by CAAHEP, ABHES or other accreditation associations requires that the institution's medical assisting program meets specific educational standards and provides sufficient classroom, lecture, and laboratory time. Professional certification
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#17330925525786656-517: The Canadian Forces Medical Services School at Borden, Ontario. The Canadian Medical Association (CMA) recognized physician assistants as a health professional in 2003. Physician assistants are able to perform medical functions such as ordering tests, diagnosing diseases, prescribing medications, treating patients, educating patients and performing various medical and surgical procedures. Physician assistants are labeled under
6784-531: The Clinical Officers Council (COC) regulates their training and practice, accredits training institutions, and approves the syllabi of the universities and colleges. The Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC), also under the Ministry of Health, has campuses in regional teaching hospitals and trains the majority of clinical officers. St. Mary's School of Clinical Medicine and St. Mary's Mission Hospital in Mumias , owned by
6912-403: The Clinical Officers Council in 1989 which had jurisdiction over clinical officers. Instead of residency for the clinical officer, the higher diploma in paediatrics, ophthalmology and other specializations was introduced in the late 1970s as a post-basic course for those who had worked for three or more years and, after ten years of service, one became a Senior Clinical Officer and qualified for
7040-696: The Clinical Officers Council in 1989. In 1990 the Kenya Medical Training College was established by the government with campuses in all major towns and in 1996 the Roman Catholic Diocese of Kakamega established St. Mary's School of Clinical Medicine at St. Mary's Hospital in Mumias which become the second and third institutions to offer the training in Kenya. By this time clinical officers had to complete an accredited four-year programme of study, practicals and internship in clinical medicine and surgery and have their names entered in
7168-473: The Clinical Officers Council (COC) entitles one to render medical services in any public or private medical institution or to practice medicine independently as a private practitioner. Registration also qualifies one to join and participate in the affairs of the Kenya Clinical Officers Association (KCOA) , including its annual KCOA Scientific Conference , and the Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO) . As per
7296-464: The Commission for University Education Act No. 42 of 2012 removed the accreditation role from all regulatory bodies such as the Clinical Officers Council (COC) and the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC) making the Commission for University Education (CUE) the only authorized accrediting body for all university degrees in Kenya including the degree in clinical medicine. In 2017
7424-562: The Duke University Medical Center assembled the first class of physician assistants in 1965, composed of four former US Navy Hospital Corpsmen . He based the curriculum of the PA program on his first-hand knowledge of the fast-track training of medical doctors during World War II . Two other physicians, Richard Smith at the University of Washington , and Hu Myers at Alderson-Broaddus College launched their own programs in
7552-503: The Kenya Clinical Officers Association Required for private practice or specialization The training expanded after Kenya's independence in 1962 through to 1970 when the newly created University of Nairobi started its own medical school and also used Kenyatta National Hospital as its teaching hospital . Legislation to regulate medical practice by clinical officers was passed in 1988 thus creating
7680-611: The Kenya Clinical Officers Association and the Kenya Union of Clinical Officers . In June 2020 the Public Service Commission approved the Revised Scheme of Service for Clinical Personnel which was issued by the State Department for Public Service to define the clinical officer's career structure, job description, standards for recruitment, training and advancement, and career planning and succession management within
7808-1167: The Korean War and transitioned to the present concept in 2002. Skills and scope of privileges are similar to those in the US. The occupational title of physician assistant and physician associate originated in the United States in 1967 at Duke University . The role has been adopted in the US, Canada, United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Netherlands, Australia, New Zealand, India, Israel, Bulgaria, Myanmar, Switzerland, Liberia, Ghana, and by analogous names throughout Africa, each with their own nomenclature and education structure. NCAHP, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. Physician assistants or associates may: Physician assistants or associates train to work in settings such as hospitals , clinics and other types of health facilities, or virtually via telemedicine . PAs are commonly found working in teaching and research as well as hospital administration and other clinical environments. PAs may practice in primary care or Health Sciences specialties, including emergency medicine, surgery and cardiology. Physician assistant (or associate) education
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#17330925525787936-550: The Malaysian Qualifications Agency . They work independently or with limited supervision of a physician to provide healthcare services to largely underserved populations. The occupation is more similar to that of clinical officers in Tanzania and elsewhere. In the United States, medical assistants have traditionally held jobs almost exclusively in ambulatory care centers, urgent care facilities, and clinics, but this
8064-734: The Royal College of Physicians of London and the previous professional body, the United Kingdom Association of Physician Associates, the Faculty officially launched in July 2015, taking over all professional responsibilities. The Faculty oversees the managed voluntary register, which all practising associates are encouraged to join, and sets and runs the National Assessment Examination and National Recertification Examination which
8192-1378: The United States ). A clinical officer observes, interviews and examines sick and healthy individuals in all specialties to determine and document their health status and applies relevant pathological , radiological , psychiatric and community health techniques, procedures and findings needed to classify diseases and related health problems and to establish a provisional or final diagnosis upon which to prescribe, initiate, carry out or terminate treatment or therapy based on their specialized knowledge, skills and experience in clinical pharmacology , use of clinical guidelines , best practices and disease patterns as well as individual patient and community characteristics while being actively pharmacovigilant to prevent, identify, minimize and manage drug reactions , drug errors, side effects and poisoning , overdiagnosis , overscreening , overtreatment and futile care . A clinical officer performs general and specialized medical duties such as diagnosis and treatment of disease and injury, ordering and interpreting medical tests, performing routine medical and surgical procedures, referring patients to other practitioners and managing health departments, institutions, projects and systems. Clinical officers, medical officers and medical practitioners are
8320-465: The University of Birmingham and published in the British Medical Journal concluded that the effectiveness and safety of caeserian sections carried out by clinical officers did not differ significantly compared with doctors. Better health outcomes including lower maternal mortality rates were observed where COs had completed further specialised training particularly in anaesthesia. In
8448-399: The University of Calgary . A new programme has been announced to be housed at the University of Saskatchewan to start in 2025. In Canada, the education of a physician assistant generally consists of three years of professional post-graduate university education. The education is delivered over a two calendar year time-frame by completing fall, winter and summer semesters for both years of
8576-627: The civil service . The scheme is administered by the Ministry of Health through the Cabinet Secretary and the Principal Secretary in conjunction with the Public Service Commission and the County Chief Officer for Health in each of the 47 Counties of Kenya . Clinical officer is a professional designation established by the government through the Clinical Officers Council (COC) which has jurisdiction and responsibility for
8704-589: The government or the private sector . Many clinical officers in the private sector are government contractors and subcontractors who provide primary care and hospital services to the public in their own private clinics or in public hospitals through contracts with the national government, county governments or other government entities such as the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF). Kenya has approximately 25,000 registered clinical officers for its 55 million people. In her books, "Beyond
8832-664: The 1960s. Physician assistants outside of the Canadian Armed Forces practice usually in the public health care system in the provinces of Manitoba, Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Alberta. Physician assistants have been regulated in Manitoba since 1999 and in New Brunswick since 2009 and are registrants of their respective provincial college of physicians and surgeons. Physician assistants in Ontario were introduced in 2007 to
8960-573: The American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA) was founded in 1956. Certification may be achieved by taking the CMA (AAMA) Certification Examination offered by the AAMA Certifying Board in consultation with the National Board of Medical Examiners , which also administers many national exams for physicians. The CMA (AAMA) exam is offered throughout the year at computer-based testing centers across
9088-469: The Canadian Association of Physician Assistants outlines the typical salaries across Canada being an entry median salary of approximately $ 80,000 CAD and an experienced median salary of approximately $ 105,000 CAD. Physician assistants are currently practicing across Canada in the Canadian Armed Forces as commissioned officers in domestic and international environments and have been in practice since
9216-593: The Canadian Association of Physician Assistants, which originally was formed in October 1999. As of 2023, PAs scope of practice in Canada is described at their website: Physician Assistants / Associates were established in Germany as a degree course in 2005. ( de:Arztassistent ). Recruitment had initially been slow, but as of 2019 there were said to be several hundred de:Arztassistenten in Germany. The first PA program in India
9344-702: The National Assembly as follows: The dual diploma in clinical medicine and surgery plus an internship year is the standard qualification for clinical officers which is awarded on completion of a four-year training programme which started as various programmes that were used to train medical practitioners in the East Africa Protectorate in the 1920s and which now resembles the North American four-year MD and DO medical school programmes (including being structured in 9 trimesters over 3 years to meet
9472-560: The National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA). Candidates who meet all medical assistant eligibility requirements and pass the NCCT national certification examination earn the credential NCMA (NCCT). NCCT accepts candidates from approved medical assistant programs in colleges/universities and provides additional experiential-based qualifying routes. Once certified, the NCMA (NCCT) must complete 14 clock hours of continuing education annually to maintain
9600-533: The Netherlands, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, and the United Kingdom. As a profession, physician assistants have greatly influenced the theory and conceptualization of socially accountable health professional education. In 2011, Health Workforce Australia began developing the role of physician assistant throughout the country culminating with registration and a PA Program based out of James Cook University . The Australian Society of Physician Assistants in 2011 published
9728-483: The PA's medical training over other providers unique in this regard. Physician assistant salaries in civilian practice in Canada are relatively new and can range from approximately $ 80,000 CAD for entry level positions to $ 142,000 CAD a year for experienced providers which are not on call and up to $ 178,000 CAD for experienced providers which are on call. The physician assistant profession is newer to civilian practice in Canada. The compensation report published in 2019 by
9856-512: The Roman Catholic diocese of Kakamega , was the first private institution to train clinical officers. It admits students who got the minimum university entry grade in high school and have passed a written examination and oral interview. The students sit the same examination as their counterparts at the KMTC and are examined by consultants from the public service. On 28 October 1981 lawmakers addressed
9984-744: The State: The Colonial Medical Service in British Africa" and "Indian Doctors in Kenya, 1895 - 1940: The Forgotten History", the author Anna Greenwood notes that before 1923 there were twice as many Indian doctors as there were European doctors working in the Colonial Medical Service . The Indian doctors had migrated to British Africa along with the coolies who came to work on the Uganda Railway . The Indian doctors faced discrimination and were not appointed to nor paid at
10112-413: The UK. Emily died from a pulmonary embolism after seeing a physician associate twice in the weeks proceeding her death, who had misdiagnosed her and asked for her to be given anxiety medication. Emily was under the impression she was seeing her GP, and not a physician associate. After her death, Emily's mother and her local MP, Barbara Keeley , called for more regulation around physician associates and for
10240-771: The areas of (family care, adults and paediatrics). Physician assistants are permitted to practice in all medical specialties by mirroring the practice of a physician with a full range of skills and scope by practicing both autonomously as a clinician and collaboratively with physicians when required. Some examples of practice areas for physician assistants include (emergency medicine, critical care medicine, cardiology, psychiatry, community and family medicine, neurology, surgery, orthopaedics, internal medicine, oncology, gastroenterology, military medicine, respirology, dermatology, women's health and many more specialities). Physician assistants may perform certain roles which have been traditionally only provided by physicians in clinical practice, making
10368-490: The average for all occupations through 2022. The New America Foundation has criticized medical assistant programs, particularly those run by profit-making schools like Kaplan and Everest College . Some graduates of the school cannot find full-time work, or cannot find work at all, cannot make enough to pay their loans, and go into default. According to the Department of Labor, median annual salary for medical assistants in 2011
10496-434: The basic training for clinical officers starts after high school and takes four or five years ending on successful completion of a one-year internship in a teaching hospital and registration at the Clinical Officers Council where annual practice licenses are issued. This is followed by a three-year clinical apprenticeship under a senior clinical officer or a senior medical officer which must be completed and documented in
10624-537: The clinical officer can be traced back to around 1888 when Sir William Mackinnon, 1st Baronet founded the Imperial British East Africa Company . The company was granted royal charter by Queen Victoria and was used by the Government of the United Kingdom to establish its influence in the East Africa Protectorate (present day Kenya ). As the influence grew a healthcare system developed to meet
10752-572: The clinical officer is one way of attaining the Millennium Development Goals 4 (reducing child mortality) and 5 (improving maternal health). Worldwide, patients are seen by many other practitioners other than the traditional doctor such as: A clinical officer takes the Hippocratic oath and, depending on jurisdiction, may be registered by the same statutory board as physicians (in the southern countries such as Zambia and Malawi ) or
10880-400: The clinical officer's training , registration and licensing and each officer must (1) study clinical medicine and surgery or clinical medicine and community health for three or four years (2) graduate from a government-accredited medical training college (3) sit and pass a government licensing examination (4) complete an internship year at a teaching hospital (5) be registered as
11008-464: The clinical officers register which was cleaned annually and taken to the government printer to be published in the Kenya Gazette . Private practice by clinical officers who had left government service after working for a minimum of 10 years was now allowed. Professional degrees in clinical medicine and surgery were first offered by Egerton University and other universities as from 2006 and in 2012
11136-452: The colonial service as they were not deemed to be the proper face of the imperial services in Africa. The Indian Assistant and Sub-Assistant Surgeons were thus replaced with similarly qualified Africans who came to be known as clinical officers when the authorizing legislation was passed in 1988 abolishing the Assistant and Sub-Assistant Surgeon and similar positions. In Kenya , the origin of
11264-520: The consortium of physician assistant education all of which are accredited by the Canadian Medical Association). As of 2023 PAs in Canada may: Physician assistants resemble and provide many of the functions of physicians. Physician Assistants (PA) are academically prepared and highly skilled health care professionals who provide a broad range of medical services. PAs are physician extenders and not independent practitioners; they work with
11392-538: The country. Only individuals who have successfully completed a CAAHEP or ABHES accredited medical assisting program are eligible for the CMA (AAMA) Certification Examination. Those who successfully complete the CMA (AAMA) Certification Examination earn the CMA (AAMA) credential, a title which then follows postnominally . A CMA (AAMA) must re-certify every 60 months by continuing education or re-examination in order to maintain certification. Other credential options include becoming
11520-401: The country. The internship involves supervised rotations in the major clinical departments namely casualty , medicine , paediatrics , surgery , obstetrics and gynecology . They are supervised by consultants in the respective fields. The consultants ensure that they can practice clinical medicine safely before signing them off for registration. An internship booklet signed by the consultants
11648-415: The credential. Physician assistant A physician assistant or physician associate ( PA ) is a type of healthcare professional . While these job titles are used internationally, there is significant variation in training and scope of practice from country to country, and sometimes between smaller jurisdictions such as states or provinces. Depending on location, PAs practice semi-autonomously under
11776-658: The establishment of the first formal training programme for clinical officers at Kenyatta National Hospital in 1928. The programme initially admitted experienced nurses and took them through a one-year certificate course which prepared them for advanced practice. The nursing pathway was discontinued and new students had to study clinical medicine and surgery and sit and pass continuous assessment tests and final qualifying examinations for three years which covered basic medical sciences , medicine , surgery , paediatrics , obstetrics and gynecology , community health , rural health and health service management before admission into
11904-404: The existing guidance from the Faculty of Physician Associates. Who advise that Physician Associates should not use any title that may confuse patients, giving some specific examples: 'GP physician associate', 'GP PA', 'PA surgeon'. The Faculty is also clear that "PAs must not use the prefix 'Dr' or title 'doctor' in any clinical environment or interaction with patients." the faculty highlight that
12032-521: The federal government national occupational classification code 3124: allied primary health practitioners. The first civilian physician assistant education programs were launched in 2008 at the University of Manitoba and McMaster University . In 2010, a third civilian program was launched by the consortium of physician assistant education ( University of Toronto , Northern Ontario School of Medicine , and The Michener Institute ) while further programmes were added in 2024 at Dalhousie University and at
12160-459: The following auxiliary roles within an intervention theatre: In March 2024, the Royal College of General Practitioners issued a statement about the activities suitable for a Physician Associate when working in Primary Care. They stated that: Assistant Medical Officer A clinical officer ( CO ) is a gazetted officer who is qualified and licensed to practice medicine . In Kenya
12288-589: The form of employment, resignation and recommendation letters before approval of practising certificates and Master Facility List numbers for their own private practices or before promotion from the entry-level training grade for those who remain employed. A further two-year higher diploma training which is equivalent to a bachelor's degree in a medical specialty is undertaken by those who wish to leave general practice and specialize in one branch of medicine such as paediatrics , orthopaedics or psychiatry . Unique Master Facility List numbers are generated from
12416-423: The general public and may be confused as the same profession. Nurse practitioners in Canada practice under an advanced nursing model. Physician assistants practice under a medical model, similarly modeled after medical school (physician) education. Nurse practitioners practice within their defined specific scope of practice autonomously and sometimes collaboratively. The defined scopes of a nurse practitioner include
12544-446: The government bureaucracy. The position of physician assistant was established in the United Kingdom in 2005. It evolved from that of physician assistant, developed in the US in the 1960s. In 2012, a group of physician assistants voted to change the name to physician associate , this title is however exceedingly close to the title Associate Physician , which represents a senior medical doctor. Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
12672-480: The government's Revised Scheme of Service for Clinical Personnel (2014) a clinical officer works at any of 8 grades depending on ones seniority. As gazetted officers all registered clinical officers are legally authorized to prepare, sign, issue and keep safe custody of official state documents such as medical examination reports, sick notes , postmortem examination reports and death certificates and to appear in courts of law as expert witnesses. For this reason,
12800-540: The guidance of qualified Clinical officers and organise outreach services where they venture into remote rural villages, seeing patients and immunising children. During this time they complete a project in community diagnosis. They also learn Health Service Management which prepares them for their management and leadership roles in health centers and other institutions. All clinical officers must work as full-time interns for one year without pay or any form of motivation at an approved public or mission hospital before getting
12928-562: The jurisdiction and may include taking medical histories and recording vital signs, explaining treatment procedures to patients, preparing patients for examination, and assisting during diagnostic examinations. Medical assistants collect and prepare laboratory specimens or perform basic laboratory tests on the premises, dispose of contaminated supplies, and sterilize medical instruments. They instruct patients about medications and special diets, prepare and administer medications as directed, authorize drug refills as directed, telephone prescriptions to
13056-799: The medical needs of the colony . In 1901 Kenyatta National Hospital was established as the Native Civil Hospital and later renamed the King George VI Hospital after King George VI of the United Kingdom . In 1958 the European Hospital (present-day Nairobi Hospital ) was established in the same area to serve the European settlers . The need for qualified medical staff who would provide preventive , promotive , curative and rehabilitative services in hospitals and communities led to
13184-499: The medical practice of medical officers and clinical officers. The supreme health policy and medical authorities in the republic are the cabinet secretary of health and the director of medical services who oversee the registration and licensing of medical institutions and the training, registration and licensing of medical practitioners through the Medical Practitioners and Dentists Board and the Clinical Officers Council . As
13312-450: The mid-2010's. The Royal College of Surgeons has offered a PA postgraduate degree since 2016, with 28 graduating by January 2021 . PAs may not write prescriptions . Physician Assistants were introduced in Israel in May 2016 to help augment a shrinking physician workforce. The initial training programs have been overseen by the ministry of health directly, but transition to academic training
13440-578: The mid-late 1960s. J. Willis Hurst started the Emory University Physician Assistant Program in 1967. The Liberian model of PAs was a curriculum intended for graduates to work in areas absent of physicians as physician substitutes. Advisors for this program included UNICEF, American physicians, and Agnes N. Dagbe, MS, RN, a Liberian nurse educated in the US. Additional training was done in the USSR. The Liberian government inaugurated
13568-498: The minimum 130 weeks of instruction recommended by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education ) instead of the more recent six-year MBChB programme that was introduced in the 1970s and is more common in European and Commonwealth countries: Medical Officers training: Clinical Officers training: The current training follows international guidelines and the two qualifications are awarded jointly on successful completion of
13696-464: The multi-country study, poor outcomes were observed in Burkina Faso and Zaire - the only countries where the procedure was performed by trained nurses. Higher rates of wound infection and Wound dehiscence in these countries was thought to be due to the nurses' poor surgical technique and need for enhanced training. ≠ Kenya has a comprehensive framework of parallel laws and regulations that govern
13824-441: The nature and size of the health care facility where the individual works, but typically involve multiple administrative duties such as scheduling appointments, handling private medical documents, and assisting patients with the admissions process. In Malaysia, medical assistants are known as Assistant Medical Officers (AMO). They complete a three-and-a-half-year diploma in medical assistant (DMA) undergraduate program recognized by
13952-480: The nature of practice, populations served and resources at ones disposal, a clinical officer is less likely to administer expensive treatment, prescribe expensive (but not necessarily better) drugs or engage in futile care . The success of HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment initiatives in Africa is mostly attributed to use of clinical officers to diagnose the disease and provide comprehensive medical care. Access to emergency obstetric care through greater deployment of
14080-739: The old legislation was repealed and the Clinical Officers Council reconstituted by the Clinical Officers (Training, Registration and Licensing) Act No. 20 of 2017 which requires each clinical officer, clinic or medical centre to be registered by the council and to maintain a current practice license and a current practising certificate in order to operate legally within the scope of medicine , dentistry , orthopedics or health work. A clinical officer may, with respect to patients - examine, diagnose, order laboratory and imaging investigations, prescribe treatment and perform procedures as per their scope of training. Clinical officers are members of
14208-621: The only officers who are gazetted and licensed to practice medicine in Kenya . They work under oath and generate credible health data and information within communities and health institutions and cascade the same to the county and national governments, government agencies and third parties through standard recording and reporting tools from the Ministry of Health which are used to capture data on disease outbreaks, physical injuries and deformities, mental illness, drug resistance, disability, nutritional disorders, births and deaths among others. To practice medicine and surgery or dentistry as
14336-451: The private sector if they hold a current licence as well. The Public Health Act further defines a medical officer of health as a public officer who is responsible for health nationally (the Director of Medical Services and the Director clinical services) or regionally (the county or sub-county Medical Officer of Health and the county or sub-county Clinical Officer). Like his counterparts in
14464-730: The program in 1965 with Dagbe as PA program. Beginning in January 1971, the US Army produced eight classes of physician assistants, at 30 students per class, through the Academy of Health Sciences , Brooke Medical Center (academically accredited by Baylor University ). In 2017, approximately 68% of physician assistants in the United States were women and approximately 32% were men. The profession expanded globally. It can now be found in Afghanistan, Australia, Canada, Germany, Ghana, India, Israel, Liberia,
14592-557: The program in either a master level university physician assistant program or post-graduate professional university bachelor level physician assistant program. Physician assistant graduates become eligible for the certification exam by being a graduate of a Canadian physician assistant program that is recognized by the Physician Assistant Certification Council of Canada (Canadian Armed Forces physician assistant program, University of Manitoba, McMaster University and
14720-561: The public health system as a joint venture between the Ontario Ministry of Health and the Ontario Medical Association. In PEI, regulation has been mandatory since June 2023. In Alberta, PAs regulation is in effect since 2021. In Nova Scotia, regulation becomes compulsory since 2024. In Ontario, PAs will be regulated from 1 April 2025. In Saskatchewan, regulation for PAs is now in effect. Physician assistants are represented by
14848-522: The public service, a clinical officer in the private sector has the same practice rights and privileges as a medical officer and both are authorized to work independently and specialize in any approved branch of general or specialised medicine. The Competition Act No.12 of 2010 directly prohibits and addresses multi-sectoral abuse of dominance, consumer welfare, exemptions, cartels and unwarranted concentration of economic power among practitioners. A register of active clinical officers and medical institutions
14976-450: The role to be renamed to avoid confusion. In July 2023 a motion was brought forward for discussion by the British Medical Association to rename PAs clearly as Physician Assistants in the U.K. to avoid role confusion with Physicians and for them to be registered with the Health and Care Professions Council . In February 2024 a story broke about make up artist Christopher Tucker receiving
15104-576: The same rank as medical officers (European doctors). Instead, they were designated as Assistant or Sub- assistant surgeons despite having attended similar 3 - 4 year Indian medical schools that were recognized by the General Medical Council in the UK and performing clinical and administrative duties that were largely identical to those of the European doctors. From the mid-1920s the Indians were removed from
15232-422: The second year. The third and fourth year involves supervised clinical practice and internship in teaching hospitals where they rotate in all the departments, receive beside lectures, attend consultants' ward rounds, clerk patients and present medical histories, perform deliveries and first-assist in major surgery. They also attend clinical meetings and write prescriptions which at this stage must be counter-signed by
15360-493: The structure and duration of medical training in Kenya was similar to the US MD training. When the University of Nairobi split from the University of East Africa and became the first university in Kenya in 1970, it continued to teach the six-year British degree which led to the creation of two statutory bodies: the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Board in 1978 which had jurisdiction over medical officers and physicians, and
15488-501: The supervision of a physician , or autonomously perform a subset of medical services classically provided by physicians. The educational model was initially based upon the accelerated training of physicians in the United States during the shortage of qualified medical providers during World War II . Since then, the use of PAs has spread to at least 16 countries around the world. In the US, PAs may diagnose illnesses, develop and manage treatment plans, prescribe medications, and serve as
15616-478: The traditional medical history and physical examination , often with little or no laboratory facilities, to make a diagnosis and provide treatment. In bigger and better equipped facilities a clinical officer generally acquires superior knowledge, experience and skills and provides high quality and a wider range of services in district, provincial and national hospitals, universities and colleges, research institutions and private medical facilities. A clinical officer
15744-564: The university. There are no pathways (post-basic or post-graduate entry-level conversion programs) for nurses and other health workers hence it takes at least eight years of specialised medical training and experience for a clinical officer to graduate with a post-basic qualification. "Clinical officer" in some countries such as Tanzania and Zambia refers to a different cadre of health workers, comparable to "medical assistants" in Malawi , who have less than three years of training but who may upgrade to
15872-417: Was Egerton University in 1999. Programs also exist at Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST) , Uzima University , Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology , Kenya Methodist University (KEMU) Mt Kenya University . and Presbyterian university of East Africa (PUEA). , and Meru University of Science and Technology (MUST) . The diploma in Clinical Medicine and Surgery
16000-419: Was $ 29,100, but students with medical-assistant certificates typically earned less than $ 20,000. In some programs, graduates earned less than $ 15,080, the minimum wage, which means they were working part-time. For example, Drake College of Business, Elizabeth, NJ, charges $ 18,000, but 31% of graduates defaulted on loans. A few public community colleges have successful programs where graduates make more than $ 25,000
16128-458: Was asked to manage the recruitment of 200 physician associates who are expected to come from the US for 40 NHS trusts in September 2015. Physician Associates are not regulated and are therefore not registered healthcare professionals. They are not able to prescribe or order tests which require ionising radiation. Legally, Physician Associates cannot work autonomously, as the provision of treatment
16256-553: Was established in 1992 with a focus on expanding cardiovascular surgery. Since then, eight additional programs have developed (in total seven baccalaureate and four master's level programs). The profession is regulated by the National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions , Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India. Physician Associates were introduced by the Health Service Executive in
16384-426: Was using many PAs—at less than half the cost of a GP —and allowing them essentially to act as GPs, without required supervision. A BBC reporter worked undercover at an Operose practice for six weeks, reporting on many problems. A senior GP said that the company was prioritising profit, putting patients at risk. In July 2023, the death of Emily Chesterton raised questions about the naming of physician associates in
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