Einsatz von Physician Assistants in der deutschen Herzchirurgie

Demographic change and the shortage of skilled workers pose major challenges for the German healthcare system, particularly in specialized fields such as cardiac surgery. Physician assistants (PA) are becoming increasingly more important as they can take on medical tasks through delegation and thus help alleviate the workload on medical personnel. To date, there are only few data available on the establishment and roles of PAs in German cardiac surgery. The aim of this study is to analyze their deployment and areas of responsibility.

The results presented here are based on a standardized online survey sent to 83 cardiac surgery clinics in Germany. With a response rate of 65% (54 clinics), comprehensive data on employment figures, academic qualifications, areas of practice, work schedules and the pay scale classification of PAs were collected.

Of the 54 clinics 31 (57.4%) reported employing PAs in cardiac surgery, with a total of 96 PAs. Of these, 88 PAs (91.7%) hold at least a bachelor’s degree, 12 (13.6%) also hold a master’s degree and 30 PAs (31.3%) are currently still studying medicine. The primary focus of their work is on average 56.2% on patient care in the general ward, 25% on surgical assistance as well as other duties in intermediate care (6.7%), intensive care units (2%), outpatient clinics (2.8%) and scientific activities (3.3%). The implementation of work models varies widely. In 35.5% of the hospitals, PAs work night shifts, in 35.5% weekend shifts and in 9.7%, PAs are part of a shift work model. The pay scale classification of PAs is heterogeneous, ranging from pay grades 9–13 in the wage agreement in the public sector (TVöD) and the state wage agreement (TV-L).

The results show that PAs are already well-established in German cardiac surgery but there is a lack of standardization regarding their role, qualifications and remuneration. A uniform nationwide pay scale classification, along with a job profile specifically tailored to cardiac surgery, could help improve professional recognition and ensure the long-term integration of the profession.