Physician Assistant Programs Research Articles

The Relationship between Gross Anatomy Performance and the Learning and Study Strategies Inventory (LASSI) Among Physician Assistant Students

BackgroundSelf‐regulated learning (SRL) is defined as the processes that one carries out to accomplish goals through self‐directed use of specific strategies. In essence, it involves how someone becomes the master of their own learning processes and comprises behaviors of skill, will, and self‐regulation. Evidence supports that high levels of SRL are correlated with better grades and higher academic achievement. Tools exist to measure SRL in higher education, with the Learning and Study Strategies Inventory (LASSI) being one such tool (Weinstein et al., 2016). It is a 60‐item inventory that measures 10 subscales including motivation, anxiety, test strategies, time management, and selecting main ideas.ObjectiveThis study aims to address whether there is a correlation between LASSI subscales and gross anatomy performance in a sample of physician assistant (PA) students. While growing numbers of medical and dental programs utilize the LASSI to examine SRL, its use in allied health student populations has not been explored extensively. I hypothesized that there is a positive relationship with anatomy performance and LASSI scales such as motivation, test taking skills, and use of academic resources and a negative relationship with anxiety.MethodsFirst year students enrolled in a physician assistant program were invited to participate in the study during the second semester of their first year, following the completion of a four‐credit gross anatomy course and other basic science coursework taken during the first semester of the first year. The timing of LASSI administration was chosen as it was thought to more accurately reflect their SRL as a PA student, as opposed to administration upon program entry when it would measure their SRL prior to graduate school. It was a programmatic requirement to complete the LASSI, however participation and use of educational records in the study was voluntary, with written consent given. Spearman correlation was used to evaluate the association between the LASSI subscales and the average grade of four sets of exams (written and practical), as well as final grade. Analyses were performed using SPSS Version 27 and significance level was set at p<0.05.ResultsA total of 49 students completed the LASSI and 5 students opted out of the study, rendering an 89.8% response rate (n=44). Two LASSI subscales had significant positive correlations with anatomy performance 1) test strategies: exam 1 (r=.618, p<0.01), exam 2 (r=.451, p<0.01), exam 3 (r=.343, p<0.05), exam 4 (r=.325, p<0.01), and final anatomy grade (r=.502, p<0.01) and 2) selecting main ideas: exam 1 (r=.374, p<0.05).Conclusion and ImplicationsThe hypothesis that anatomy performance would be negatively correlated with anxiety and positively correlated with test strategies and other LASSI subscales was partially supported. This preliminary study reveals that only two LASSI subscales had significant positive correlations with anatomy performance: test strategies and selecting main ideas. Anxiety did not have a significant correlation with anatomy performance. It is unsurprising that a relationship exists between test‐taking strategies and anatomy grades, and the strength of this relationship decreased as students progressed through the semester. This research suggests that explicit instruction of test taking skills, SRL, and metacognitive awareness early in the curriculum may improve anatomy performance.

A Community of Medical Educators Coming together to lend an “Anatomical” Hand: Showing the Value of an In‐Person Anatomy Lab based Curriculum

Anatomy education has suffered greatly during the Covid‐19 pandemic, forcing medical institutions to switch from in‐person to remote learning. This entails sacrifice of the 3D learning component of the laboratory and creates a major experience gap in the curriculum. At the School of Health Professions of SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, anatomy courses were delivered remotely over the past two summers for the physical therapy, physician assistant, and occupational therapy programs. Student evaluations reveal the perception of their respective cohorts having “lost out” on the value of in‐person experience in the anatomy lab compared to upper classmen who took this course before the pandemic lockdown. To bridge this gap, medical educators came together as a community to offer an in‐person, hands‐on anatomy experience to 94 health professional students. Weill Cornell Medicine hosted the event and provided 20 donor dissection bodies with a total of 16 participating faculty that included anatomy directors from SUNY Albany, University at Buffalo, Icahn and NYU Schools of Medicine, in addition to Emergency department and Rehabilitative Medicine Attendings and former students who are now in private practice. A review of the musculoskeletal system was offered in three distinct categories that involved demonstration of movements, the neurovascular elements involved, and clinicopathologies. The follow up survey reveals positive student responses in all three categories. They also credited the event with providing an appreciation of the three‐dimensionality of the region, citing that remote learning did not offer a full understanding of contiguous anatomical structures in 3D space. What was not measured in the survey were unexpected losses of corollary benefits to other courses that learning human dissection conferred. Program directors reported that some of these students underperformed in their respective programs which was unexpected based on their admissions profile compared to students who had the in‐person anatomy lab experience. What is missing when students do not have a 3‐D appreciation for the musculoskeletal system is their understanding of elements such as direction of muscle fibers (parallel vs pennate), line of pull, and eccentric versus concentric contractions. Human gross anatomy in the laboratory, aside from providing 3D learning, lays the foundation for the problem‐solving skills and professionalism that will be expected of them throughout their health professional careers. Thus, gross anatomy education is not solely a course to “memorize” the names of soft‐tissue structures in 3D space but instead also serves to develop and fortify professional behaviors that will prepare students beyond the laboratory and into the workplace.

Association of Preadmission Factors With Physician Assistant Student Diversity.

A new physician assistant (PA) program accreditation standard requires institutional support for PA student diversity. Therefore, preadmission factors associated with diversity should be identified to inform decision-making. The purpose of this study was to explore associations between preadmission factors of interest and percentages of underrepresented minority (URM) students in PA programs. Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA) survey responses from 169 PA programs were analyzed by using simultaneous multiple regression. The variables included the standardized testing requirement of the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE), undergraduate preprofessional phase, public or private institution, writing sample requirement, mission statement inclusive of care for underserved populations, and local racial or ethnic demographics. GRE score requirements were found to be negatively associated with percentages of African American and total non-White, non-Asian students (p < .05). Local URM racial and ethnic population demographics were shown to be positively associated with African American, Hispanic, and total non-White, non-Asian students (p < .05). Undergraduate preprofessional phase, type of institution, writing sample requirement, and mission statement supportive of underserved populations did not show significant associations with URM diversity. Faculty and administration members who are involved in decision-making in PA admissions processes should consider the potentially negative impact of a GRE requirement as it relates to the percentages of African American and total non-White, non-Asian matriculants. Educational institutions might also consider exploring new PA program development in geographic areas with supportive local demographics as an approach to achieving more student diversity.

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

PurposeMany 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.MethodologyThis longitudinal retrospective observational study assessed commonly required/preferred academic credentials in PA faculty job postings. Data from 2014 to 2020 was obtained from the labor analytics firm Burning Glass Technologies (BGT) and other academic job search engines. Data on current PA faculty and program directors were obtained from Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA) survey reports. Wage gap analysis was performed to gain additional insight for the supply and demand of PA educators with a doctoral degree.ResultsOf the 612 unique job ads posted from 232 PA programs between 2014 and 2020, approximately 38.9% (238) stated a preference or requirement for a doctoral degree. Nearly half of the postings for program directors and leadership positions preferred candidates with doctorates. There was a correlation between tenure eligibility positions (20.1%) and preference/requirement for doctoral credentials. PAEA survey data (2014–2019) revealed approximately 24% PA faculty and 45–48% of program directors held a doctoral degree with Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) as the most frequently held doctorate. No significant difference existed in wages for faculty with or without doctoral degree.ConclusionsBased on a national sample of PA program job ads, there is a preference for doctoral-prepared PA educators and the demand for these candidates is greater than market supply. Our analysis has implications for individual faculty career planning, employers and the PA profession as it debates transition to a terminal doctoral credential. Further studies should assess the impact of doctoral credentials on PA education by examining measurable outcomes.

Comparing the Effectiveness of Virtual and In-Person Delivery of Mindfulness-Based Skills Within Healthcare Curriculums.

PurposeTo promote well-being, healthcare education programs have incorporated mindfulness-based skills and principles into existing curriculums. Pandemic-related restrictions have compelled programs to deliver content virtually. Study objectives were to determine (1) whether teaching mindfulness-based skills within physician assistant (PA) programs can promote well-being and (2) whether delivery type (virtual vs. in-person) can impact the effectiveness.MethodsDuring this 2-year study, a brief mindfulness-based curriculum was delivered to incoming first-year students at six PA programs, while students at two programs served as controls. The curriculum was delivered in-person in year one and virtually in year two. Validated pre- and post-test survey items assessed mindfulness (decentering ability, present moment attention and awareness, and psychological flexibility) and well-being (perceived stress and life satisfaction).ResultsAs expected, coping abilities and well-being were adversely impacted by educational demands. The mindfulness-based curriculum intervention was effective in increasing mindfulness and life satisfaction, while decreasing perceived stress when delivered in-person. Virtual curricular delivery was effective in decreasing perceived stress but not improving life satisfaction. Over half of the participants receiving the curriculum reported positive changes on mindfulness measures with approximately 14–38% reporting a change of greater than one standard deviation. Changes on mindfulness measures explained 30–38% of the reported changes in perceived stress and 22–26% of the changes in life satisfaction. Therefore, the mindfulness curriculum demonstrated statistically significant improvements in measures of mindfulness and mitigated declines in life satisfaction and perceived stress.ConclusionMindfulness-based skills effectively taught in-person or virtually within PA programs successfully promote well-being.

Evaluation of Disability Education and Emergency Preparedness Curricula of Physician Assistant Programs.

The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate whether physician assistant (PA) programs in the Midwest integrate both disabilities and emergency preparedness education into 1 curriculum. A convenience sample was utilized to survey program directors and deans of PA programs. Emails were obtained from the Physician Assistant Education Association. A 26, closed-ended question Qualtrics survey was based on an original study by Tanenhaus et al.1. Out of 43 accredited physician assistant programs surveyed, 9 programs replied (21%), and 1 program did not complete the survey. Six of the 10 programs (66%) responded that their program provided lectures specific to emergency preparedness. All 9 programs responded they do not offer a graduate-level track or concentration in emergency/disaster preparedness, and they do not offer a dual degree or a multidisciplinary program that highlights emergency/disaster preparedness. This study was conducted to bring awareness to physician assistant students' education regarding disabilities and emergency preparedness. As public health crises continue to arise, such as coronavirus disease (COVID-19), it is critical to have appropriately trained health care professionals. The study revealed that most programs lack a graduate-level track or concentrations, dual degrees, or extracurricular opportunities related to disabilities and emergency and disaster preparedness.

Student Ultrasound Interest Group: A Novel Method of Introducing Ultrasound to Physician Assistant Students.

This study describes a student ultrasound interest group (SUIG) in a resource-limited physician assistant (PA) program. The benefits of PA student attitudes and knowledge of ultrasound (US) are described. Participation in the SUIG was voluntary. Didactics included free online access medical education (FOAMed) materials. Initial scanning sessions focused on the Focused Assessment with Sonography in Trauma (FAST) exam and were led by a faculty champion with limited US experience. A survey on attitudes and a basic US knowledge test were administered before and after the first session and again 2 months later. Thirty-seven students (76% female, mean age 26.4) participated in the initial FAST scanning sessions. All participants agreed that the SUIG session was useful. There was a slight increase in confidence after SUIG sessions (1.27 vs 2.92 on a 5-point scale), and 94% reported increased motivation to seek out ultrasound opportunities on clinical rotations. The average score on the knowledge test increased from 37% to 90% after the scanning sessions; the average score waned over time to 80% after 2 months. SUIGs are a valuable way to introduce US to PA students using limited resources. Even minimal exposure can increase PA student confidence and knowledge.

PAs and point-of-care ultrasound: A scoping review.

Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) has rapidly emerged as a valuable tool in the bedside assessment of patients. This scoping review summarizes existing literature covering clinical use and educational integration of POCUS by physician assistants (PAs), with the overall goal of identifying gaps in POCUS research involving the PA profession. Keyword searches of PubMed, EMBASE, Medline, and Google Scholar were conducted. Studies assessing PA POCUS use or accuracy; those evaluating extent, method, or value of POCUS educational integration; and those assessing the effect of POCUS training interventions were included. Of the 717 studies retrieved, 30 met inclusion criteria. Studies generally demonstrated that PAs can use a fairly wide range of POCUS applications with high accuracy, but that POCUS integration into PA programs remains limited because of a number of identified barriers. Machine availability and insufficient POCUS training and education opportunities limit widespread clinical use of POCUS by PAs.

Pipeline to the Physician Assistant Profession: A Look to the Future.

The current pipeline of physician assistant (PA) school applicants reflects the future workforce of the profession, which is why the admissions process with all its components and variables is so important. Many studies have shown that a workforce that represents the patients it cares for leads to improved health outcomes, especially among underrepresented minority populations. Yet, PA programs have made little progress over the past 2 decades in increasing the diversity of matriculants and graduates. As a profession, it is our collective responsibility to intentionally advance diversity, equity, and inclusion, and examining the admissions process would be the most logical place to start.

Expert Consensus Guidelines for Assessing Students on the Social Determinants of Health

Phenomenon Assessment and evaluation guidelines inform programmatic changes necessary for educational effectiveness. Presently, no widely accepted guidelines exist for educators to assess learners and evaluate programs regarding social determinants of health (SDOH) during physician and physician assistant (PA) education. We sought to garner expert consensus about effective SDOH learner assessment and program evaluation, so as to make recommendations for best practices related to SDOH education. Approach We used a Delphi approach to conduct our study (September 2019 to December 2020). To administer our Delphi survey, we followed a three-step process: 1) literature review, 2) focus groups and semi-structured interviews, 3) question development and refinement. The final survey contained 72 items that addressed SDOH content areas, assessment methods, assessors, assessment integration, and program evaluation. Survey participants included 14 SDOH experts at US medical schools and PA programs. The survey was circulated for three rounds seeking consensus, and when respondents reached consensus on a particular question, that question was removed from subsequent rounds. Findings The geographically diverse sample of experts reached consensus on many aspects of SDOH assessment and evaluation. The experts selected three important areas to assess learners’ knowledge, skills, and attitudes about SDOH. They identified assessment methods that were “essential”, “useful, but not essential”, and “not necessary.” The essential assessment methods are performance rating scales for knowledge and attitudes and skill-based assessments. They favored faculty and patients as assessors, as well as learner self-assessment, over assessments conducted by other health professionals. Questions about separation versus incorporation of SDOH assessment with other educational assessment did not yield consensus opinion. The experts reached consensus on priority outcome measures to evaluate a school’s SDOH program which included student attitudes toward SDOH, Competence-Based Assessment Scales, and the percentage of graduates involved in health equity initiatives. Insights Based on the Delphi survey results, we make five recommendations that medical and PA educators can apply now when designing learner assessments and evaluating SDOH programming. These recommendations include what should be assessed, using what methods, who should do the assessments, and how they should be incorporated into the curriculum. This expert consensus should guide future development of an assessment and evaluation toolkit to optimize SDOH education and clinical practice. Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/10401334.2022.2045490 .

The Predictive Strength of the End of Curriculum Exam.

To assess the value of the Physician Assistant Education Association's End of Curriculum examTM and formative and summative exams during the physician assistant program in predicting Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE) scores. Value of the End of Curriculum exam, Physician Assistant Clinical Knowledge Rating and Assessment Tool (PACKRAT I, PACKRAT II), PANCE simulation (SUMM I), and Objective Structured Clinical Examination in predicting future PANCE scores was assessed using correlation and regression analysis of data for 27 PA students from one cohort. The End of Curriculum exam, PACKRAT I, PACKRAT II, and SUMM I are statistically significant predictors of PANCE score (p < 0.01). A combination of PACKRAT I and PACKRAT II was the best predictor of PANCE score and explained a large amount of variance (77.0%) in PANCE scores. PAEA's End of Curriculum exam is one of the strongest predictors of PANCE score (r = 0.78). It offers an additional opportunity for programs to provide PA students with another layer of academic advising and to guide their preparation for PANCE.

HealthCare educational differences in pain management, adverse childhood experiences and their relationship to substance use disorder education

BackgroundIn order to assist the State of Ohio in the United States in addressing the opioid epidemic, the Ohio Attorney General appointed experts in a variety of academic disciplines to the Scientific Committee on Opioid Prevention and Education (SCOPE). The focus of SCOPE is the application of scientific principles in the development of prevention and educational strategies for reducing substance use disorder (SUD). One area of focus for SCOPE was SUD education of healthcare professionals. The objective of the present was to identify the content and extent to which future healthcare professionals are trained in pain management, SUD, and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs).MethodsIn December of 2019, a survey was distributed to 49 healthcare professional schools in Ohio that included the following disciplines: medicine, pharmacy, advanced practice registered nurse (APRN), physician assistant, dentistry, and optometry. The survey included four domains: initial screening of patients, training in SUD, training in care for patients at high risk for SUD, and education in evaluating patients for ACEs. Descriptive statistics were calculated.ResultsThirty one of the forty-nine schools completed the survey. Most disciplines indicated that some form of basic training in the principles of SUD were taught in their core curriculum. The training on ethical issues surrounding SUD were not as widely covered (range 0-62.5%). Medicine, APRN, physician assistant, and pharmacy schools had a “moderate” to “great” extent of pharmacologic therapy curriculum integration. Other pain management strategies were “somewhat” to “moderately” integrated. There were variations seen in training on risk of medication misuse based on various contributors to health. At least 67.7% of medicine, APRN, physician assistant, and pharmacy programs included motivational interviewing training. The extent to which schools integrated education regarding ACEs into their curriculum varied from 0 to 66.7%.ConclusionsThe study finding suggests a need for a unified, consistent, and expanded training requirement in the foundations of pain management, SUD, and ACEs in professional healthcare education.

Interprofessional education in the clinical learning environment: a mixed-methods evaluation of a longitudinal experience in the primary care setting

ABSTRACT Team collaboration in our healthcare workforce is necessary to effectively address multifaceted medical and social needs, especially for those impacted by systemic inequities. Effective interprofessional practice and education models including curricula are needed to prepare a practice ready healthcare workforce for team collaboration. Most healthcare trainee interprofessional experiences take place episodically in classroom settings. However, creating a culture that supports team-based learning and interprofessional clinical practice requires teaching skills (e.g., communication, collaboration, shared decision-making, coordination of care) longitudinally in the clinical setting. A weekly interprofessional clinic for patients/clients with chronic health conditions was organized in three primary care practices. Trainees from nutrition, social work, medicine, and physician assistant programs worked with supervising clinicians from each field. Surveys, interviews, and focus groups assessed the effects of interprofessional education and training in the primary care setting. Results show the longitudinal experiential IPE program significantly improved knowledge, attitudes, skills, and values addressing key interprofessional competencies. Qualitative results complement survey data and highlight key themes addressing patient-centered care and team dynamics. These findings demonstrate the importance of longitudinal, immersive team-based interprofessional training in the clinical learning environment.

Fostering cultural sensitivity amongst students of pharmacy through an interprofessional book club activity

Background and purposeTo describe a large-scale, cultural sensitivity-focused interprofessional book club activity that is required in the first-professional year of an accelerated pharmacy curriculum. Educational activity and settingAn interprofessional book club activity, focusing on the need for cultural sensitivity in health care, is conducted annually for students in the acupuncture, pharmacy, physical therapy, physician assistant, and sonography programs. Each year over 400 students are required to attend and are assigned to interprofessional groups to discuss guided questions pertaining to the book written by Anne Fadiman, The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures. Pharmacy students complete multiple assignments before and after the activity. Students are administered a post-survey to collect student feedback and self-assessment data. The book club has been run in both synchronous and asynchronous formats. FindingsStudent survey responses have consistently revealed that the majority of students agreed or strongly agreed that they were better prepared for culturally-diverse patient interactions, the activity allowed for interprofessional learning, and the activity should continue for future students. SummaryA book club activity is an effective strategy for delivering content related to cultural sensitivity in an interprofessional format. This activity model can be used to support interactions with multiple professions in different schools within the same university or with multiple professions located at different universities/institutions.

An Integrated Point-of-Care Ultrasound Curriculum: An Evidence-Based Approach.

Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) has been demonstrated to improve students' medical knowledge and clinical exam skills and advances patient care through numerous diagnostic and therapeutic applications. Despite the growing use of ultrasound in medical education and clinical practice, few physician assistant (PA) programs have successfully integrated POCUS education into their curricula. This manuscript describes an evidence-based approach for integrating POCUS education throughout a 2-year PA curriculum, with the goal of serving as a useful guidepost for other PA programs as they strive to incorporate this valuable skill into their curricula.

Attitudes Towards Mental Health Among Physician Assistant Students with Shared Living Experiences Through Synchronous Videoconferencing.

We tested the hypothesis that physician assistant (PA) students can benefit from exposure to senior PAs who share their living experiences with mental illness. First-year students from 5 PA programs were asked to participate in this mixed methods study. After completing a pre-activity survey, students from 3 programs participated in an intervention consisting of senior PA faculty sharing their mental health experiences, including treatment and recovery. A facilitated discussion followed, and students not exposed to the intervention served as controls. The qualitative component of the study was based on transcripts from 3 focus groups of students in the exposed group. We recruited 167 students from 5 PA training programs, 112 of whom (67%) completed baseline and endpoint assessments (37 in the exposed group, 75 in the control). The intervention resulted in significant improvements on the Opening Minds to Stigma (OMS-HC, p = 0.002, Cohen's d = 0.38) and Self-Stigma of Seeking Help (SSOSH, p = 0.006, d = 0.31) scales. Change in the OMS-HC was driven by its social distance (p = 0.003) and disclosure (p = 0.02) subscales. No comparable changes were found in the control group. We identified 3 overarching themes: 1) active elements of the intervention; 2) mutuality; and 3) peer relationships. Senior PAs sharing their lived experiences with mental illness proved to be an effective anti-stigma intervention for PA students. A candid, intimate, and confidential virtual learning space was feasible through synchronized videoconferencing. Our findings can inform programmatic interventions to address stigma, self-stigma, help-seeking behaviors, and the overall mental health of PA students.

Assessing the Economics of an Entry-Level Physician Assistant Doctoral Degree.

An entry-level doctoral degree for the physician assistant (PA) profession has been a perennial issue since the master's degree approval in 2000 and the 2009 release of the Clinical Doctorate Summit Report. Many PA counterparts have transitioned to required or optional doctoral degrees for entry into practice. Although the PA profession has not adopted an entry-level doctorate, postgraduate doctoral programs have proliferated. This study's aim was to compare the cost of post-PA doctoral degrees to the estimated cost of an entry-level PA doctorate. Cost of a post-PA doctoral degree was obtained from data on 15 postgraduate doctoral programs associated with PAEA member programs. Historical, aggregated data on PA program characteristics were collected from PAEA Annual Program Survey reports to estimate costs for an entry-level doctorate and to propose a likely model. For comparison, educational program data from health professions that have transitioned to entry-level doctorates were assessed. The average cost for postgraduate PA programs is significantly higher than the projected add-on cost for an entry-level PA doctorate, which ranges from $5,731 to $15,563. Directors of post-PA doctorate programs report that enrollments are generally near or at capacity. Implementation of an entry-level doctorate by accredited PA educational programs has the potential for significant economic and chronological advantages over postgraduate doctoral programs.

Utilization of pharmacists in physician assistant didactic curricula in the United States

IntroductionThe primary objective was to describe the percentage of physician assistant (PA) programs who utilize pharmacists to lecture on pharmacology/pharmacotherapeutics content. Secondary objectives were to describe the percentage of pharmacology/pharmacotherapeutics lectures pharmacists deliver, the percentage of programs who employ a full-time pharmacist to coordinate the Pharmacology/Pharmacotherapeutics courses, and the inclusion of pharmacists in other courses in the curricula. MethodsThis was a prospective, cross-sectional, cohort survey. All PA programs listed on the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA) website with an available email address for the Director of Pre-Clinical Education/Didactic Education, Academic Coordinator, or Chair/Director were recruited for the study. A link to an online survey was distributed to each program. The survey collected data on program characteristics as well as utilization of pharmacists in the curriculum. Descriptive statistics were used for all analyses. ResultsOf the 187 programs receiving the survey, 66 completed the survey (35%). Eighty-three percent of programs reported that pharmacists were utilized to deliver pharmacology/pharmacotherapeutics content. For those programs who utilize pharmacists, 80% reported pharmacists teach more than 75% of the lectures. Twenty-three (35%) programs reported having a full-time pharmacist on faculty to coordinate these courses. Almost half of respondents also commented that pharmacists were involved in other courses in the curriculum. ConclusionsMore than 80% of programs responding to the survey utilize pharmacists to deliver pharmacology/pharmacotherapeutics content. Studying the utilization of pharmacists and their impact in other health sciences curricula is warranted.

Developing a team-based assessment strategy: direct observation of interprofessional team performance in an ambulatory teaching practice

Background: High functioning interprofessional teams may benefit from understanding how well (or not so well) a team is functioning and how teamwork can be improved. A team-based assessment can provide team insight into performance and areas for improvement. Though individual assessment via direct observation is common, few residency programs in the United States have implemented strategies for interprofessional team (IPT) assessments. Methods: We piloted a program evaluation via direct observation for a team-based assessment of an IPT within one Internal Medicine residency program. Our teams included learners from medicine, pharmacy, physician assistant and psychology graduate programs. To assess team performance in a systematic manner, we used a Modified McMaster-Ottawa tool to observe three types of IPT encounters: huddles, patient interactions and precepting discussions with faculty. The tool allowed us to capture team behaviors across various competencies: roles/responsibilities, communication with patient/family, and conflict resolution. We adapted the tool to include qualitative data for field notes by trained observers that added context to our ratings. Results: We observed 222 encounters over four months. Our results support that the team performed well in measures that have been iteratively and intentionally enhanced – role clarification and conflict resolution. However, we observed a lack of consistent incorporation of patient-family preferences into IPT discussions. Our qualitative results show that team collaboration is fostered when we look for opportunities to engage interprofessional learners. Conclusions: Our observations clarify the behaviors and processes that other IPTs can apply to improve collaboration and education. As a pilot, this study helps to inform training programs of the need to develop measures for, not just individual assessment, but also IPT assessment.

Wellness Now! Two Physician Assistant Programs' Experiences Incorporating a Wellness Curriculum.

Wellness Now! Two Physician Assistant Programs' Experiences Incorporating a Wellness Curriculum.