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Arch Otolaryngol. 1970;91(1):100.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text PDF and any section headings.

THE legal risks involved in delegating work to physicians' assistants is discussed in the Feb 10, 1969, JAMA Law and Medicine¹ department. The general rule is that it is the physician's responsibility to select and retain competent employees so that his patients are in safe hands when receiving care from paramedical personnel. Possession of a license or certificate by such personnel is no guarantee against negligence, and if an employee is incompetent the physician is liable for injuries caused thereby. In California the Medical Practice Act is strict and defines a high number of official paramedical classifications.

In California a court decision held that competent but unlicensed foreign physicians cannot lawfully administer anesthesia, assist in surgery, or engage in diagnosis and treatment of patients.

In some states the Medical Practice Act has been amended to grant general authority to physicians to use competent assistants substantially at the physician's discretion. . . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]

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