Knowledge Library

Idaho: Advanced Practice Provider Laws and Regulations

Physician Assistants Qualifications [IDAPA 22.01.03. Subsection 021.01-06]: Graduate accredited PA program; bachelor’s degree; NCCPA exam. MD Supervision of Physician Assistant [IDAPA 22.01.04, Subsections 020.01 – 020.06]: Supervising physicians must register with Idaho’s Board of Medicine and generally may supervise no more than three (3) PAs at a time. The Board may authorize a physician to supervise a total of six (6) PAs contemporaneously if necessary, to provide adequate medical care and upon prior petition documenting adequate safeguards to protect the public health and safety. The supervising MD must: Accept full responsibility for the medical acts and patient services provided by...

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Alaska: Advanced Practice Provider Laws and Regulations

Physician Assistants Qualifications [12 AAC 40.400]: Graduate accredited PA program; current NCCPA certificate. MD Supervision of Physician Assistant: Collaborative Plan as defined in 12 AAC 40.410(a)-(j), in part: PA may not practice without at least one collaborative relationship that is documented by a plan on a form provided by the medical board. Must include: Name, license number and specialty of primary supervising physician, at least one alternate collaborative physician, beginning date of employment, physical location of practice, compliance with 12 AAC 40.415 as it pertains to a remote location, and prescriptive authority granted by collaborating physician under the collaborative plan....

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Smartphones and Texting with Patients

Text messaging or SMS (short message service) has become the virtual default method of direct communication in today’s society. As regular mail and even personal emails are increasingly as difficult to find as needles in virtual haystacks, and there is less and less time for telephone calls, individuals who want timely responses are using text messages to communicate- and this expectation is present in healthcare as well. Consider the following statistics: 95% of text messages are read within 3 minutes of being sent. (Forbes) 98% of text messages are read. (Physician Practice News) 91% of US adults 65+ own a...

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Audio and video recordings: What is permissible?

In an age in which most people have a recording device handy at all times, physicians may wonder what their rights and obligations are with respect to audio and video recordings in their private practices. It is clear that video recording, either by staff or by patients, should generally not be permitted in areas in which patient information may be exposed, but what about within the privacy of the exam room?   California is a “two-party consent” state with respect to audio recordings. This means that in the context of a private conversation, both parties taking part in the conversation must consent to having the conversation recorded.    Alaska, Idaho,...

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Capacity v. Competency and Why it Matters

Evaluating medical decision-making capacity can be challenging when treating patients who exhibit cognitive deficits. Understanding the physician’s role in assessing capacity versus the judicial determination of incompetence can make a significant difference in how these situations should be approached.  In healthcare, medical decision-making capacity refers to “an individual’s ability to understand the significant benefits, risks, and alternatives to proposed health care and make and communicate a healthcare decision” (Uniform Health Care Decisions Act of 1993). Medical decision-making capacity is specific to the proposed medical intervention, and it can change over time. Incompetence is a legal term that refers to an enduring general inability to make valid decisions. This is established by a judge or magistrate, and it is reserved for...

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