Opioid use disorder and motivational interviewing: Training physician assistants for the epidemic.

Objectives: (1) To evaluate the effectiveness of a curriculum on physician assistant (PA) students' knowledge about opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment and management and (2) present student satisfaction with the curriculum.

Methods: Three cohorts of PA students completed pre- and post-intervention questionnaires about their knowledge of motivational interviewing (MI) for OUD. One cohort of students completed the 11-item questionnaire without exposure to the intervention (control group).

Opioid Use Disorder and Assessment of Patient Interactions Among Family Medicine Residents, Medical Students, and Physician Assistant Students.

Introduction: In light of the opioid overdose epidemic in the US and the necessity of developing training to conduct difficult conversations around opioid dependence, three case-based videos were created to demonstrate providers using motivational interviewing (MI) with patients who have opioid use disorder (OUD). These vignettes displayed a primary care provider interacting with a patient seeking opioids.

Methods: Learners-including third-year medical and physician assistant (PA) students, and family medicine residents-viewed three videos set in a family medicine clinic and assessed clinician use of MI when interacting with patients with OUD.

Training Physician Assistants to Use Medical Interpreters Effectively.

Purpose: To examine the internal consistency of a validated instrument for physician assistant (PA) communication skills with interpreters and evaluate a training activity focused on effectively working with interpreters during a standardized patient assessment.

Methods: Six cohorts of PA students completed training on how to communicate with patients who required an interpreter. Students then completed an assessment with a limited English-proficient patient and interpreter.

Female PAs-Where are we today?

As the physician assistant (PA) profession celebrates its 50th birthday, we can be proud of the gains our profession has accomplished. However, despite the positive reports of job satisfaction, a marked increase in female PA leaders, and overall gains in PA compensation, a significant wage gap remains between male and female PAs. The PA profession is flourishing but it is time female PAs are paid equitably.

Central Application Service for Physician Assistants Ten-Year Data Report, 2002 to 2011.

Purpose: This study highlights the trends and data points of interest in physician assistant (PA) applicant data over the first 10 years of the Central Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA) (2002-2011) and PA matriculant data over the last 5 years of that 10-year period (2007-2011).

Methods: A retrospective study of data provided by applicants to all CASPA-participating PA programs between 2002 and 2011 was conducted. Applicant data analyzed over the 10-year period were provided by applicants and collected through an online CASPA applicant portal.

Perceptions of culturally competent diabetes management in a primary care practice.

To evaluate whether clinicians consider the impact of culture on diabetes management, a survey was mailed to 300 randomly selected patients > or = 50 years with type 2 diabetes and 153 surveys were returned. Data were correlated with A1C values. African Americans (AA) and non-Hispanic whites (NHW), (91.

Standardized patient instructors' and physician assistant students' evaluation of diabetes counseling skills.

Purpose: Standardized patient instructors (SPIs) have been used in medical and physician assistant (PA) teaching and have been shown to be a valuable resource for assessing interviewing and clinical skills. This study evaluated the agreement between SPI ratings and student self-ratings in the assessment of counseling skills.

Methods: PA students in three graduating classes (2009-2011) participated in this study.

Physician assistant program characteristics and faculty credentials on physician assistant national certifying exam pass rates.

Purpose: Determination of the ideal terminal degree for physician assistants (PAs) and academic preparedness of PA educators have received much attention in recent years. This investigation, completed in 2009, sought to describe the current state of PA training programs, specifically regarding Carnegie classification, percent conferring master's degrees, number of full-time faculty, percent of faculty--both principal and other full-time faculty--with doctoral degrees, student-to-faculty ratio, and first-time graduate Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE) pass rates. A secondary aim was to determine if any of these variables predict PANCE pass rates.

Characteristics associated with glycemic control among family medicine patients with type 2 diabetes.

Background: As new payment models are developed for chronic diseases such as diabetes, there is a need to understand which patient characteristics impact glycemic control. This study examines the relationship between patient variables and glycemic control, defined as a hemoglobin A1c (A1c) level of <7%, in a cohort of family medicine patients with type 2 diabetes.

Methods: A total of 1,398 medical charts were selected using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification codes for diabetes.

A longitudinal comparison of pharmacy and medical students' attitudes toward the medically underserved.

Objective: To longitudinally assess pharmacy and medical students' attitudes toward the medically underserved.

Methods: The Medical Students' Attitudes Toward the Underserved (MSATU) survey was administered to the entering classes at the schools of pharmacy and medicine at 2 universities in the South. This self-report measure was then completed by these students in each year of the professional curriculum.

Working effectively with interpreters: a model curriculum for physician assistant students.

Background: Effective patient-provider communication is crucial to achieving good health care outcomes. To accomplish this with patients of limited English proficiency, learning to work effectively with interpreters is essential.

Aims: The primary goal of this study was to determine if physician assistant students could effectively use interpreters to communicate with Spanish speaking patients after implementation of a cultural competency and Medical Spanish curriculum.

Racial and ethnic disparities in self-monitoring of blood glucose among US adults: a qualitative review.

Objective: To review existing data to determine whether racial/ethnic disparities exist for self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) among adults in the United States.

Study Design: A literature search of diabetes-related studies published from 1970 through June 2005 was conducted. Our search strategy included SMBG in minority populations with diabetes.