Introduction to Primary Care and Scope Flashcards
Short history of PAs:
Start: formally established in the United States in the late 1960s
Why: response to shortage and maldistribution of physicians
Market: to improve access to health care and enhance existing health care delivery system
Resource: returning Vietnam era military corpsmen
Why create the role of a PA?
Need: there was a shortage of physicians in the 1960s; access to healthcare was limited in many areas; healthcare disparities resulted from access and financial barriers
Opportunity: medics returning from the Vietnam war had skills, but no job opportunities to use them
Advantages of PAs
Cost effective, efficient, flexible, accepted, adaptable
When was the first U.S. PA program?
1965
Who and where was the first PA program established?
Dr. Eugene A. Stead Jr. establishes “physician assistant” education program at Duke University
When was National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) established?
1975
Describe the scope of practice of a PA
PAs are educated in the medical model and work as members of healthcare teams.
PA scope of practice is determined by:
1. Education and experience
2. State law
3. Facility policy
4. Delegatory decisions made by the supervising physician
When was AAPA founded?
1968
When was the first national PA day?
1987 (20th anniversary of the graduation of the first PAs)
When was JAAPA founded?
1987
When did PAs have prescribing authority in all 50 states (plus DC and Guam)?
2007
Distribution of PAs in the U.S. 2021:
23.7% of certified PAs work in primary care (27.5% in Minnesota in 2020):
- Family medicine/general practice
- Internal medicine
- General pediatrics
Top 10 areas of medicine that PAs practice in?
- Primary care
- Family medicine/general practice
- Emergency medicine
- Orthopedic surgery
- Internal medicine/general practice
- Dermatology
- Hospital medicine
- Cardiothoracic and vascular surgery
- General surgery
- Cardiology
Describe the geographic locations of where PAs practice (2020 stats)
51.6% work in metropolitan areas with population > 1 million
Only 2.5% work in completely rural areas with population <2,500 and not adjacent to a metro area
Median PA compensation (2019)
Base salary: $110,000
Hourly wage: $62.73
Productivity pay: $145,000
Profession-wide compensation: $117,000 (2021)
Annual bonus: $5,500
___% of all PAs are completely or mostly satisfied with their job
70.5%
Top 5 specialties with the highest burnout rates (2021)
- Critical care medicine
- Emergency medicine
- Oncology
- Hospital medicine
- Family medicine/general practice
What year did the first formally trained PA began practicing in MN?
1970
When did Augsburg accept its first PA program?
1995
When was the first PA program developed in MN?
1973 – St. Cloud PA Program began with two graduating classes (1975 and 1976), but program did not receive accreditation
When did St. Kate’s start its first PA class?
2012
What other countries have PAs/a form of PA?
USA, Canada, Netherlands, The Ministry of Health of England, Germany, Scotland, The Ministry of Health of Australia, New Zealand
Of note: in some of these countries, PAs do not have prescriptive authority or require significant supervision.
What is the official title of a PA profession?
The official title of the PA profession is “physician associate.”
As the organization representing the PA profession, AAPA has transitioned to the American Academy of Physician Associates.
PAs should continue to use “physician assistant” or “PA” as their official legal title in a professional capacity, particularly in clinical settings and with patients.
AAPA is transitioning to the use of “physician associate” when possible and when it does not present a legal or regulatory conflict.
What is primary care?
Primary care is the provision of integrated, accessible health care services by clinicians who are accountable for addressing a large majority of personal health care needs, developing a sustained partnership with patients, and practicing in the context of family and community.
