Open AccessPA practice analysis
Author(s) -
Grady Barnhill,
Andrew Dallas,
Sheila Mauldin,
Roderick S. Hooker
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
journal of the american academy of physician assistants
Language(s) - Uncategorized
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.24
H-Index - 17
ISSN - 0893-7400
DOI - 10.1097/01.jaa.0000547750.31052.5a
Subject(s) - certification , primary care , specialty , sample (material) , medical education , general practice , medicine , commission , psychology , focus (optics) , family medicine , task (project management) , political science , management , chemistry , chromatography , law , physics , optics , economics
In conducting its practice analysis, the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants incorporated new approaches in 2015. Twelve groups of PAs identified knowledge, tasks, and skills required for practice not only in primary care, but also in 11 practice focus areas (specialties). In addition, a list of diseases and disorders likely to be encountered was identified for each specialty. A representative sample of 15,771 certified PAs completed an online algorithm-driven survey and data were analyzed to determine how practice is the same for all PAs and how it differs depending on the practice focus. Larger differences between PAs in different specialties were seen in the frequency ratings of diseases and disorders encountered than for ratings of task, knowledge, and skill statements. Distinctions between PAs in primary care and those in other specialties were more pronounced, as the specialty was more divergent from primary care.