Health and health care delivery systems
Learning outcomes After carefully reading this chapter, the physician assistant student will be able to: 1. Define health systems and list the key elements of a health system. 2. Describe…
Postacute care, rehabilitation, and long-term care systems
Introduction The physician assistant (PA) profession is rooted in primary care; however, increasing numbers of PAs are choosing specialty areas. According to the 2018 American Academy of Physician Assistants’ salary…
Patient safety and quality of care
Introduction In late January 2001, 18-month-old Josie King turned on the hot water and climbed into a scalding-hot bathtub. She sustained second-degree burns on 60% of her body and was…
Research and the physician assistant
Introduction Most physician assistant (PA) students choose to study to become PAs because they want to care for patients. If they had wanted to study for a research-oriented degree, they…
Health disparities
What are health disparities? According to Unequal Treatment, health disparities are the differences in the incidence, prevalence, mortality, and burden of diseases and other adverse health conditions that exist among…
Evidence-based medicine
Learning outcomes After carefully reading this chapter, the physician assistant student will be able to: 1. Provide an overview of the history of evidence-based medicine. 2. Describe the steps to…
Interprofessional practice and education
Introduction Physician assistant (PA) students who train in the early 21st century are being prepared as never before for interprofessional practice (IPP) via interprofessional education (IPE) ( Box 40.1 )….
Stress, burnout, and self-care for physician assistants
Learning outcomes The reader of this chapter will be able to: 1. Describe the concepts of burnout, resilience, compassion fatigue, depersonalization, wellness, and self-care. 2. Understand the current models of…
Postgraduate clinical training programs for physician assistants
Introduction Employment opportunities and clinical roles for physician assistants (PAs) have rapidly expanded to include positions in a wide variety of specialty areas. Postgraduate curricula are designed to build on…
Medical malpractice and risk management
Introduction A physician assistant‘s (PA’s) medical practice deals in a world of gray. There are few clinical situations a PA encounters that clearly and unequivocally present themselves so that a…
