Training and function of a women's health-care specialist, a physician's assistant, or nurse practitioner in obstetrics and gynecology.

Serious manpower shortages exist in the United States. Proposed corrective measures indicate the need for nonphysicians to provide medical care for well or worried well patients. We have tested this proposed solution in the field of obstetrics and gynecology using allied health personnel to provide health maintenance services to well women, and feel that the experiment has been a success. Using principles of pattern recognition allied health workers recognize normal and abnormal findings. Patients with abnormalities are referred to the supervising physician for diagnosis and therapy. Allied health workers can also perform technical health-maintenance tasks such as inserting intrauterine devices and obtaining Pap smears. This article describes the historical evolution of our allied health personnel workers, called women's health-care specialists (WHCS), the selection and training of students, functions and levels of performance of the specialists, and the future role of such individuals in obstetrics and gynecology. We feel that with appropriate preparation of the physician, co-workers, and patients, the integration of the WHCS into the health-care system is both desirable and appropriate and will offer significant advantages to the patient and the practicing obstetrician-gynecologist in either the clinic or private practice setting.