What procedures can family physicians do?
Let me preface this by saying something that will ring true THROUGHOUT this FAQ, and that is, MEDICINE IS REGIONAL. Let me repeat that again so that it sinks in: MEDICINE IS REGIONAL. What goes down in rural Kansas does NOT necessarily go down in South Florida. What is acceptable in New York City might NOT be acceptable in Dallas. Other factors that contribute to what an FP can do are:
- Availability of other practitioners to do a procedure in a particular region
- POLITICS, POLITICS, POLITICS - Local hospital/regional politics play a MAJOR ROLE in what can be done by whom.
- How aggressive the particular FP has been in getting the necessary training in order to be competent in that procedure.
- What the local insurance companies are willing to pay for. Obviously, one is not going to do a procedure if there is no chance for reimbursement.
- How much EXTRA one is willing to pay in malpractice insurance premiums for the privilege of getting covered for that procedure.
- What the local hospital credentialing committee will allow in terms of staff privileges.
That being said, here is a partial list of procedures that FPs can do, depending on the ABOVE factors:
- Joint injections (knee, shoulder, etc.)
- Suturing of lacerations
- Biopsies (punch, excisional, shave, etc.)
- Cryotherapy
- Central line and peripheral line placement
- Closed reduction of simple fractures
- Drainage of simple abscesses
- Normal vaginal deliveries
- C-sections
- Tubal ligation
- Newborn circumcision
- Chest tube placement
- Endotracheal intubation
- Conscious sedation
