The reactions pp\to d\pi^+\eta and pn\to d\pi^0\eta are of special interest
for investigating the a_0(980) (J^P=0^+) resonance in the process NN \to da_0
\to d\pi\eta. We study some aspects of those reactions within a general
formalism and also in a concrete phenomenological model. In particular, it is
shown that the presence of nonresonant (i.e. without excitation of the a_0
resonance) contributions to these reactions yields nonvanishing values for
specific polarization observables, i.e. to effects like those generated by
a_0-f_0 mixing. An experimental determination of these observables for the
reaction pp\to d\pi^+\eta would provide concrete information on the magnitude
of those nonresonant contributions to \pi\eta production. We discuss also the
possibility of extracting information about a_0-f_0 mixing from the reaction pn
\to d\pi^0\eta with polarized proton beam.Comment: 14 pages, 3 figure