Compliance With Accreditation Standards on Diversity: Is Institutional Support the Missing Link?

Introduction: The role of accreditation standards in fostering diversity and inclusion in academic programs remains poorly understood. Accreditation is one approach to increasing diversity through Standard A1.11.

Ready or Not: A Crossover Study of (Un)graded Individual Readiness Assurance Tests in Team-Based Learning.

Objective: This study aimed to measure the effects of graded vs ungraded individual readiness assurance tests (iRATs) on the students' test scores and achievement goals in a team-based learning classroom.

Methods: A 2 × 2 crossover study was conducted in a required second-year pharmacotherapy course. Teams 1 to 8 were assigned to a UG iRAT during the first half of the course, followed by a G iRAT the second half of the course (G/UG group).

Physician Assistant Faculty Perceptions Regarding Ongoing Self-assessment and Accreditation.

Purpose: While the processes of ongoing self-assessment and accreditation provide significant benefits to physician assistant (PA) programs, faculty members are often challenged by the required procedures and standards set by accreditation agencies. This study explored faculty perspectives regarding the processes of ongoing self-assessment and accreditation in PA programs.

Methods: A qualitative research design centered around semistructured interviews was used.

Characteristics of Hybrid Learning Among Health Professions Programs: A Mixed-Methods Study.

Purpose: To characterize current trends in hybrid education within the physician assistant (PA) profession, specifically program design, drivers, and outcomes in comparison with physical therapy hybrid education.

Methods: This was a mixed-methods study involving secondary data analysis and focused interviews with stakeholders to triangulate the data.

Results: Compared with traditional PA programs, hybrid programs have similar admission requirements, higher cost of tuition, larger class size, and higher attrition rate than national mean.

Thinking Outside the Box: Advancing Clinical Education in an Era of Preceptor Shortage.

The expansion of health professions educational programs has led to an acute shortage of available clinical training sites. Rapid growth in the number of medical schools, physician assistant (PA) programs, and advanced nurse practitioner (APRN) programs, all of which share a need for similar types of clinical training experiences, has increased competition for clinical training sites and placed new challenges on educational institutions. Solutions are urgently needed to increase the quantity and quality of supervised clinical practice experiences as well as to ensure diversity among preceptors and geographical clinical sites.

Accreditation in the Health Professions: Implications for Physician Assistant Education.

The accreditation process of health professions educational (HPE) programs is an essential ingredient in preparing a qualified healthcare workforce. Accreditation ensures that minimum standards are met by educational programs and contributes to pedagogical integrity, consistency, and academic policies and practices, leading to the desired quality of graduate outcomes. In this study, we analyzed key characteristics, policies, and practices for accreditation in 5 health professions to highlight emerging trends and discern implications for the physician assistant (PA) profession.

Developing and evaluating an instrument to assess perceptions of an entry-level physician associate doctoral degree.

Background: Most health professions in the United States have adopted clinical or practice doctorates, sparking an ongoing debate on whether physician assistants/associates (PAs) should transition from a master's to a doctorate as the terminal degree for the profession. Although more studies are anticipated, there is no validated instrument assessing perceptions of various stakeholders regarding an entry-level PA doctoral degree. The objective of this study was to develop and evaluate a novel self-report measure to assess perceptions of an entry-level PA doctoral degree.

Assessing demand for doctoral-prepared PA faculty: a five-year longitudinal study.

Purpose: Many health profession programs have transitioned to doctoral credentials. While a master's degree is the terminal degree for the physician assistant (PA) profession, there is increasing discussion regarding the doctoral degree as the PA terminal credential in US higher education.This study examines trends, demand and economic opportunities for doctoral prepared PA faculty; specifically, assessing to what extent PA faculty employers prefer doctoral credentials.

Building an Advising Model for Physician Assistant Education.

Physician assistant education is balancing an explosion of new programs, an increase in novice faculty, and expectations from accreditation standards to track student progress longitudinally. The traditional "one-size fits all" model of advising will not meet the demands of this changing educational environment. This article introduces a longitudinal advising model that integrates various strategies from existing models such as proactive, appreciative advising, and the GROW (Goal, Reality, Options, Will) coaching model with a focus on the goal of achieving the new Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA) Competencies for the New Graduate.

An Exploration into the Physician Assistant Entry-Level Doctoral Degree: Lessons Learned From Across Health Professions.

This article explores current trends in the ongoing debate about transitioning to an entry-level doctoral degree for the physician assistant (PA) profession and identifies lessons learned from the disciplines of nursing, pharmacy, and physical therapy, which have already transitioned to an entry-level doctoral credential. We conducted a mixed-method study that involved an interprofessional systematic literature review and an examination of publicly available databases. Based on lessons learned from other health professions, a model for implementation of an entry-level doctoral degree for the PA profession is presented here.

Curriculum essentials of an entry-level PA doctoral degree.

Objectives: With increasing discussion of physician assistant (PA) doctoral education, investigation of curriculum essentials and competencies has become relevant.

Methods: We conducted a national mixed-methods study comprising a survey and semistructured interviews to capture stakeholders' views on essential curricular elements for PA doctoral education.

Results: If the PA profession decides to transition to a terminal doctoral degree, 75% of respondents indicated this would require new content, with half indicating it would require significant change to the curriculum, enhance PA educational rigor, and change the competencies of the new graduate.

Advancing Physician Assistant Faculty Development: A New Model.

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to describe the development, implementation, and evaluation of an innovative physician assistant (PA) faculty development model.

Methods: The Maryland Physician Assistant Leadership and Learning Academy's (PALLA's) executive team developed a 10-month fellowship designed to build a skilled faculty pipeline. The fellowship framework was grounded in the PA educator competencies, the 3 pillars of academia, and the 5th edition Accreditation Standards for Physician Assistant Education.

A physician assistant entry-level doctoral degree: more harm than good?

Background: As most health professions in the United States have adopted clinical or practice doctorates, there has been an ongoing debate on whether physician assistants (PAs) should transition from a master's to a doctorate as the terminal degree. The authors examined perceived risks, benefits and impact of transitioning to an entry-level PA doctoral degree.

Methods: A multi-prong, mixed-methods approach was used that included a literature review and collecting quantitative and qualitative data using a survey and interviews.

Creating disseminator champions for evidence-based practice in health professions education: an educational case report.

Introduction: In today's healthcare environment, it is a necessity to prepare nurses and other health professionals to provide and disseminate evidence-based practices (EBP) throughout their careers.

Purpose: This educational case report describes a health professional education program's successful endeavor to educate and create evidence-based champions.

Case Description: The presented model for developing evidence-based practitioners is based on two distinct phases.

Utilization of physical therapy in home health care under the prospective payment system.

Purpose: Aging adults who are homebound while recovering from illness or surgery are often referred to physical therapy for home-based rehabilitation care. The efficacy of such home-based interventions has not been thoroughly studied. The purpose of this study was to analyze the utilization of physical therapy services in one home health care agency under the prospective payment system.