See also:
AAFP-ACOG Joint Statement on Cooperative Practice and Hospital Privileges
Privileges
Privilege Assignment in Departmentalized Hospitals
Privileges at Competing Hospitals
Privileges, Documentation of Training and Experience
Privileges, Electrocardiogram Interpretation
Privileges, Emergency Care Services
Privileges, Family Medicine Departments and
Privileges and Training for New Procedures
Privilege Overlap
Privilege Support Protocol
Privileging Policy Statements
Privileges, Special/Critical Care Unit
Privileges, Surgical Assistant
As the patient's advocate, when the family physician's patients require surgical care not provided by the family physician, the family physician will exercise his/her best professional judgment in recommending the most appropriate consultant.
The "Program Requirements for Residency Education in Family Practice" mandate that all family medicine residents must receive training in pre- and postoperative care, basic surgical principles, asepsis, handling of tissue and technical skills to assist the surgeon in the operating room. Based on individual training and experience, the family physician should be well qualified to assist at surgery. In addition to providing high quality technical assistance, a family physician assisting at surgery will: (1) ensure continuing care of the individual patient, (2) provide the important psychological support and security necessary, (3) provide clinical correlation with surgical findings at the time of the operation, (4) provide or assist in provision of many aspects of pre- and postoperative care, both technical and psychological components, (5) assist in communication and rapport between the consultants, the patient and the patient's family, and (6) act as the patient's advocate in obtaining appropriate and coordinated care. Physician assistance at surgery, which is clinically necessary for improved patient outcome, should be fairly compensated by all payers of health care.
As a member of the medical staff and the patient's attending physician, the exercise of a family physician's privilege to assist at surgery shall not be superseded by a surgical residency program's rules or regulations regarding surgical assistance.
When hospital rules require surgical assistance on cases, nonphysician surgical assisting should be acceptable only in individual cases where appropriate family physician or other physician assistance is unavailable. (1988) (2008)
The "Program Requirements for Residency Education in Family Practice" mandate that all family medicine residents must receive training in pre- and postoperative care, basic surgical principles, asepsis, handling of tissue and technical skills to assist the surgeon in the operating room. Based on individual training and experience, the family physician should be well qualified to assist at surgery. In addition to providing high quality technical assistance, a family physician assisting at surgery will: (1) ensure continuing care of the individual patient, (2) provide the important psychological support and security necessary, (3) provide clinical correlation with surgical findings at the time of the operation, (4) provide or assist in provision of many aspects of pre- and postoperative care, both technical and psychological components, (5) assist in communication and rapport between the consultants, the patient and the patient's family, and (6) act as the patient's advocate in obtaining appropriate and coordinated care. Physician assistance at surgery, which is clinically necessary for improved patient outcome, should be fairly compensated by all payers of health care.
As a member of the medical staff and the patient's attending physician, the exercise of a family physician's privilege to assist at surgery shall not be superseded by a surgical residency program's rules or regulations regarding surgical assistance.
When hospital rules require surgical assistance on cases, nonphysician surgical assisting should be acceptable only in individual cases where appropriate family physician or other physician assistance is unavailable. (1988) (2008)