Rebekah Bernard MD and Niran Al-Agba MD|

Increasingly, nurse practitioners and physician assistants are being asked to step into the role of physicians. While surgeons and procedural doctors have been fairly insulated from this phenomenon, the tide is beginning to turn. Today we are going to explore the phenomenon of NPs and PAs performing colonoscopies, screening tests for colon cancer.

Colorectal surgeon Amer Alame MD discusses the flaws in a study that claims to show that PAs can safely perform colonoscopies.

Fejleh MP, Shen C, Chen J, Bushong J, Dieckgraefe, B, Sayuk G. Quality metrics of screening colonoscopies performed by PAs. JAAPA. 2020;33(4):43-48.

Get the book! https://www.amazon.com/Patients-Risk-Practitioner-Physician-Healthcare/dp/1627343164/

You might also be interested in...

  • Our critical appraisal of Cochrane’s “Substitute of Nurses for Physicians in Hospital Settings” is published in Missouri Medicine

    October 1, 2026

  • North Carolina Legal Challenge Threatens Vital Physician-Led Patient Safeguards

    September 25, 2026

  • Why Physician-Led Care and Credential Transparency Are Non-Negotiable Safeguards

    September 17, 2026

  • Profit Over Expertise: NP’s and PA’s Fuel Over-Prescribing Risks. Pharmaceutical Companies Profit & Patients Can be Harmed.

    August 24, 2026