Scope of Practice of Non-Physician Providers

The American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery strongly opposes state and federal legislation that would inappropriately expand the scope of practice of non-physician providers (those healthcare professionals who are not MDs or DOs) beyond their education and training. Enabling non-physician providers to independently diagnose, treat, or manage medical disorders could adversely affect quality of patient care. The AAO-HNS supports the concept of collaborative and coordinated team care, and endorses the American Medical Association’s (AMA’s) 2008 statement on Workforce Reform:

“Each member of the health workforce contributes an essential mix of skills and experience to achieve the highest quality of care for the patient. While there is some overlap between these sets of skills and experience, it is important that the core roles of each of the health professions are preserved. This is to ensure patient care does not become fragmented, disorganized, confused and downgraded, and in order to ensure the ongoing viability of all professional groups.”

Adopted: June 6, 2009

Guidelines are not a substitute for the experience and judgment of a physician and are developed to enhance the physicians' ability to practice evidence-based medicine.

Important Notice

The American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Inc. and Foundation (AAO-HNS/F) Policy Statements are guidelines only. In no sense do they represent a standard of care. The applicability of an indicator for a procedure, and/or of the process or outcome criteria, must be determined by the responsible physician in light of all the circumstances presented by the individual patient. Adherence to these guidelines will not ensure successful treatment in every situation. The AAO-HNS emphasizes that these policies should not be deemed inclusive of all proper treatment decisions or methods of care, nor exclusive of other treatment decisions or methods of care reasonably directed to obtaining the same results.