11 research outputs found
PAs in the Republic of Ireland
The physician associate/assistant (PA) profession was introduced into the Republic of Ireland following a 2-year pilot project with the Irish Department of Health between 2015 and 2017. Four PAs from North America were recruited into four designated surgical services at a large teaching hospital in Dublin. To date, the PA numbers are small in Ireland, with one university, in Dublin, running the program and 61 graduates working mostly in the hospital setting, with a small number in primary care. The cautious introduction of PAs partly is due to a delay in follow-up from the Department of Health after the pilot project and in the university's decision to increase the student intake slowly to ensure all graduates secure employment. </p
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
Time to pivot: a guide to holistic admissions
As an ever-increasing number of physician assistant (PA) programs moves toward holistic admissions, a better understanding of how to achieve their stated admission goals becomes more important. With the June 2023 US Supreme Court decision effectively ending affirmative action in higher education, navigating holistic admissions is now an even greater challenge. In this article, the PA Education Association's Presidents Commission offers a guide for programs to use in implementing holistic admissions at their institutions and key considerations. Is the process mission-driven? Does it follow principles of quality improvement and incorporate ongoing assessment of that process? Using data can be a constructive and insightful way to inform the process. The authors hope that tools, resources, and recommendations offered in this article will serve as valuable resources for any program attempting to institute or improve its holistic admissions process. </p
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Prevention of a First Stroke: A Review of Guidelines and a Multidisciplinary Consensus Statement From the National Stroke Association
OBJECTIVE To establish, in a single resource, up-to-date
recommendations for primary care physicians regarding prevention
strategies for a first stroke. PARTICIPANTS Members of the National Stroke Association's
(NSA's) Stroke Prevention Advisory Board and Cedars-Sinai Health
System Department of Health Services Research convened on April 9,
1998, in an open meeting. The conference attendees, selected to
participate by the NSA, were recognized experts in neurology (9),
cardiology (2), family practice (1), nursing (1), physician assistant
practices (1), and health services research (2). EVIDENCE A literature review was carried out by the Department of
Health Services Research, Cedars-Sinai Health System, Los Angeles,
Calif, using the MEDLINE database search for 1990 through April 1998
and updated in November 1998. English-language guidelines, statements,
meta-analyses, and overviews on prevention of a first stroke were
reviewed. CONSENSUS PROCESS At the meeting, members of the advisory board
identified 6 important stroke risk factors (hypertension, myocardial
infarction [MI], atrial fibrillation, diabetes mellitus, blood
lipids, asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis), and 4 lifestyle factors
(cigarette smoking, alcohol use, physical activity, diet). CONCLUSIONS Several interventions that modify well-documented and
treatable cardiovascular and cerebrovascular risk factors can reduce
the risk of a first stroke. Good evidence for direct stroke reduction
exists for hypertension treatment; using warfarin for patients after MI
who have atrial fibrillation, decreased left ventricular ejection
fraction, or left ventricular thrombus; using 3-hydroxy-3
methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitors for patients
after MI; using warfarin for patients with atrial fibrillation and
specific risk factors; and performing carotid endarterectomy for
patients with stenosis of at least 60%. Observational studies support
the role of modifying lifestyle-related risk factors (eg, smoking,
alcohol use, physical activity, diet) in stroke prevention. Measures to
help patients improve adherence are an important component of a stroke
prevention plan