What can I expect on my first visit?
When you come to ADVENT typical questions we get on the first visit are:
- "How can ADVENT help me in ways that are different from other clinics?"
- "What does ADVENT have to offer that's different?"
Things that we would ask you on your first visit are what are your goals specifically.
Even though we do typically have a patient journey process that we have found to work, we know that each patient is an individual and each patient may have a different goal.
One patient may want to decrease the amount of sinus infections they get per year, the next patient may want to be able to share a bed with their spouse without their snoring disrupting them. Everybody is a little bit different and those things are important to us. We will ask you what have you tried, what has worked, what has not worked, what are your ultimate goals as far as treatment goes.
Some people are very adverse to procedures, some people are afraid of surgery, some people are more interested in doing something where they can stay awake and have limited downtime. All of those things play a factor in our first visit with you.
Why do we ask patients what their goals are?
Asking patients about their goals helps us cater to you in a very specific way. Everybody has a different plan in mind when they want to have their problem solved. When it comes to sinus and snoring issues people have different goals.
Some sleep apnea sufferers refuse to use a CPAP machine. We know that going in so we're not going to force that on you. Other people have a fear of CPAP but they don't really know why, and they've never tried it and for severe sleep apnea maybe that's still the best option and we will work through that with the patients.
Goals are important because you don't want to just treat a patient based off of what you think is best for them. and they're not going to be happy or open to that. As a APP, I want to know what tour goals are, so we can work through a journey together and get you where you want to be.
How much schooling does a Physician Assistant have to complete?
Physician assistants typically go through four years of undergrad and an additional two years in their masters program to become physician assistants. They do an entire year of clinical rotations. They also are board certified nationally and they are required to re-certify every ten years which is not typical of other professions. They are also required to have at least 100 hours of continuing medical education every two years.
How much schooling does a Nurse Practitioner have to complete?
Nurse practitioners go through a similar type of program. Typically, they were nurses first and then go onto their nurse practitioner program which at minimum is a master's degree. Some are also doctorate degrees at this point. They also pass a national board exam. So, to be an advanced practice provider at ADVENT typically they are trained as generalists as most APPs are.
Do ADVENT APPs (Advanced Practice Providers) receive special training?
When coming to ADVENT we go through several different in services as well as onsite training to specialize in ENT. Especially when it comes to procedures that we will be performing, like endoscopies, ear tube placements, debridements, provided to us in specific training that we do on cadavers, that we do on dummy heads as well. We are also required to go to specific continuing medical education conferences to advance our knowledge within the ENT practice. So, because we are so heavily focused on our sinus patients here, our APPs perform endoscopies. We are highly trained in doing this procedure as well as endoscopic sinus debridements and epistaxis management and because we do this so often here and this is a general focus for us there's APPs here that do endoscopies more than even ENT surgeons within the community.
What's the advantage to the patient of a team-based approach to care?
There are many advantages to a team based approach for patients. Some of those advantages are efficiency within getting patients into the clinic, being seen in a flexible time manner and quickly getting to the root cause of your problem on the very first visit. There's no red tape in preventing you to seeing a surgeon or waiting to see a doctor who may have limited time. We all work together. The APPs correspond with the physicians. That way the physicians are able to see their patients more efficiently because we are able to assist them in doing so. With the team based approach there is no hierarchy as APPs and MDs work in unison to help you establish and tackle your goals.