Overall, PAs rate aspects of work life favorably. Further research on factors that contribute to the PA work experience may help inform interventions aimed at improving job satisfaction among healthcare professionals.

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As the physician assistant (PA) profession celebrates 5 decades of practice, questions about the future direction of PA education and practice persist. Conversations regarding prescribing privileges have given way to debate about PA certification and the necessary level of PA education. Most PA programs already confer master's degrees, but there has been at times vigorous debate on whether or not the PA profession should join pharmacy (PharmD), physical therapy (DPT), and advanced practice nursing (DNP) and standardize education at the clinical doctorate level. The primary aim of this article is to provide historical perspective on the evolution of the PA educational degree and to discuss the potential association between credential and PA practice autonomy.

Further research is needed to identify strategies to increase underrepresented minority participation in healthcare professions programs.

Greater use of physician assistants (PAs) and nurse practitioners (NPs) to meet growing demand for healthcare in the United States is an increasingly common strategy to improve access to care and control costs. Evidence suggests that payment for services differs depending on the type of provider. This study sought to determine if the source of payment for a medical visit varies based on whether care is provided by a physician, PA, or NP. Data from the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (2006 through 2010) were analyzed. Physicians were proportionally more likely than NPs or PAs to provide care for medical visits compensated by private insurance or Medicare. Conversely, PAs and NPs were more likely to serve as providers of care for services with other payment sources such as Medicaid and out-of-pocket.

PURPOSE Physician assistants (PAs) have made major contributions to the primary care workforce. Since the mid-1990s, however, the percentage of PAs working in primary care has declined. The purpose of this study was to identify demographic characteristics associated with PAs who practice in primary care.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to assess holistic review use in physician assistant (PA) programs and determine whether a relationship between holistic review and underrepresented minority (URM) matriculation exists. Methods Using data from the 2016–2017 Physician Assistant Education Association annual survey of PA programs, we examined the frequency of holistic review use across PA programs. Bivariate correlation analyses and binary logistic regression were used to examine relationships between holistic review practices and program percentages of first-year underrepresented racial and ethnic minority students. Results Most PA programs (169/219 [77.2%]) reported using holistic review, and its use modestly correlated with percentage of students who were underrepresented racial minorities (rho = 0.16, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.02–0.30) or Hispanic (rho = 0.20, 95% CI = 0.06–0.33). Using several holistic review elements related to program commitment to diversity modestly correlated with percentage of students who were underrepresented racial minorities (rho = 0.25, 95% CI = 0.10–0.39) or African American (rho = 0.20, 95% CI = 0.04–0.34). Additionally, the odds of a first-year student being an underrepresented racial or ethnic minority were slightly higher in PA programs using holistic review (OR = 1.56, 95% CI = 1.23–1.99 and OR 1.33, 95% CI = 1.09–1.62, respectively). Conclusions PA program use of holistic review practices was modestly associated with percentage of URM students. Further research is needed to identify elements that are most effective.

As the US population increases and ages, more patients require care. A reengineered health care system relies on physician assistants and nurse practitioners; however, the extent to which they care for medical conditions is marginally known. We analyzed ambulatory visits by provider type and diagnosis focusing on chronic diseases to identify differences in patients seen by each type of provider. Both physician assistants and nurse practitioners attended 14% of 777 million weighted visits. Overall, diabetes and hypertension accounted for 2% to 4% of visits. The distribution of visits for chronic disease diagnoses appears to be similar for all 3 providers (physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants). These findings may improve organizational efficiency in ambulatory systems.