ReviewThe Australian journal of rural health2026
Physician Assistants in Australia. Function and Friction in Australian Healthcare: An Integrative Review.
Review in The Australian journal of rural health, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionAustralia's ongoing healthcare workforce shortages have prompted exploration of alternative models of care. One such model is the Physician Assistant (PA), a role established and trialled internationally but inconsistently implemented in Australia. OBJECTIVE
designTo examine the role, function and professional positioning of PAs within the Australian healthcare system.
designIntegrative review, guided by Whittemore and Knafl's (2005) framework.
findingsLimited evidence of PA use in Australia was found. Of the identified literature, findings reveal that PAs have contributed across diverse clinical settings in Australia, including emergency departments, surgical units, and primary care, particularly in underserved and rural areas. Their scope of practice has spanned diagnostic, procedural, and care coordination roles, delivered under varying levels of medical supervision.
conclusionThere is limited evidence on the use of PAs in Australia. Despite some positive outcomes, significant barriers, such as professional resistance and concerns about patient safety, role ambiguity, and lack of national regulation, have hindered broader adoption.
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