Suchergebnisse

Background: Physician assistants (PAs) are often suggested as a partial solution to predicted primary care workforce shortages, but a declining proportion of PAs are entering primary care practice. Policy efforts have focused on increasing primary care PA supply, but low labor market demand might be constricting the primary care PA pipeline. Method: In this descriptive, cross-sectional study, we compare primary care and specialty job postings to each other and to occupied PA positions. Job posting data for 2014 are from a leading labor analytics firm. Results: Only 18% of job postings were in primary care, compared with 27% of occupied PA positions. The proportion of postings that were for primary care varied widely by state (9% to 40%) and were highest in the West. Discussion: Job availability is a potential barrier to PAs practicing in primary care, especially in some locations. Other job factors are examined and policy solutions are suggested.

Team-based care involving physician assistants and/or nurse practitioners (PA/NPs) in the patient-centered medical home is one approach to improving care quality. However, little is known about how to incorporate PA/NPs into primary care teams. Using data from a large physician group, we describe the division of patients and services (e.g., acute, chronic, preventive, other) between primary care providers for older diabetes patients on panels with varying levels of PA/NP involvement (i.e., no role, supplemental provider, or usual provider of care). Panels with PA/NP usual providers had higher proportions of patients with Medicaid, disability, and depression. Patients with physician usual providers had similar probabilities of visits with supplemental PA/NPs and physicians for all service types. However, patients with PA/NP usual providers had higher probabilities of visits with a supplemental physician. Understanding how patients and services are divided between PA/NPs and physicians will assist in defining provider roles on primary care teams.