JAAPA : official journal of the American Academy of Physician Assistants
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An emergency department observation unit (EDOU) opened in April 2006 staffed by physician assistants (PAs) and nurse practitioners (NPs). This study describes the complexity and outcomes of the EDOU patients to determine the effectiveness of staffing by PAs. ⋯ PAs effectively cared for patients of moderate complexity in the two largest groups of utilizers of the EDOU.