Paying close attention to scope of practice issues is essential to protecting patients, said W. Stephen Black-Shaffer, MD, MA, FCAP, Ray Callas, MD, Mary Le, MD, MCAP, and Marilyn J. Heine, MD, on the panel, Scope of Practice Under Pressure— Boundaries, Opportunities & Risks, moderated by Adam Booth, MD, FCAP.
What they’re saying: Dr. Heine, from the American Medical Association (AMA) Board of Trustees, said it’s extremely important for pathologists to continue to tell their stories and educate lawmakers about how infringements on their practices will impact patients.
- Dr. Le discussed the CAP’s efforts to protect the pathologists scope of practice, including opposition to the cytotechnologist name change and the Doctor of Clinical Laboratory Science (DCLS) degree.
Every single member of the health care team plays an important role, but physicians have the highest level of training.
Texas Medical Association President Dr. Callas said, “We are fighting as hard as we can. Education and training are paramount. We should never dumb down the practice of medicine.”
Go deeper: The AMA Scope of Practice Partnership has lots of resources for physicians to protect their specialties.