Final answer:
AAPA is advocating for Optimal Team Practice (OTP), which promotes full practice authority, team-based practice, and practice-level decision making for physician associates to enhance healthcare delivery.
Step-by-step explanation:
The American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA) is advocating for Optimal Team Practice (OTP), which involves several key changes to how physician associates (PAs) are integrated into the healthcare team. Three things that the AAPA is advocating for with OTP include:
- Full Practice Authority: Allowing PAs to provide care to the full extent of their education, training, and experience without requiring a formal agreement with a specific physician, thereby increasing healthcare access.
- Team-Based Practice: Encouraging a team-based approach to healthcare where PAs collaborate with physicians and other providers based on the needs of the patient and the skills of the healthcare providers.
- Practice-Level Decision Making: Empowering PAs to be involved in the decision-making processes at the practice level, including administrative and governance roles.
These initiatives are intended to remove unnecessary barriers, allowing PAs to contribute more effectively to team-based patient care.