VIDEO: Physician assistants part of ‘team-based approach’ in asthma, allergy care

Key takeaways:

• Physician assistants are trained in the medical model to work in a variety of specialties.
• Scope of practice may include allergy and asthma testing and interpreting its results.

PARK CITY, Utah — Physician assistants are prepared to provide much-needed treatment across different practices, including asthma and allergy care, Amanda Michaud, DMSc, PA-C, AE-C, told Healio.

“PAs ... are trained in the medical model and upon graduation they are prepared to work in a variety of specialties,” Michaud, physician assistant at Family Allergy and Asthma Consultants in Jacksonville, Florida, and secretary of the Association of PAs in Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (APA-AAI), said during the organization’s Annual Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Conference.

Collaborating and supervising physicians typically train PAs on the job to provide care across all aspects of their scope of practice, including patients of all ages with all types of conditions in the allergy, asthma and immunology space, Michaud said.

“We can help a practice by providing access to patient care, by performing oral food challenges, interpreting tests and diagnostics like skin testing [and] spirometry,” she said. “With the collaborating relationship with our physician, we always have that kind of team-based approach to provide the best patient care.”

For more information:

Amanda Michaud, DMSc, PA-C, AE-C, can be reached at amandalmichaud@gmail.com.