Physician assistants in primary care: making an impact in Manitoba
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Date
2019
Authors
Kirwan, Sheryl
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Abstract
Physician Assistants (PAs) are being employed in various sites in Manitoba, and in
several specialties and subspecialties including primary care. This study aimed to describe the
work PAs in primary care are doing, explore the demographics of their patients, assess their job
satisfaction, and examine their contributions to healthcare.
Several questionnaires were constructed and distributed to PAs who graduated from
Master of Physician Assistant Studies at the University of Manitoba and are currently working in
primary care. The questions that were asked were divided up into: the reasons the PAs
specialized in primary care, their practise environment, patient population, schedules, job
satisfaction, professional concerns, and their contributions to healthcare.
The results of the primary care PA survey show that in Manitoba primary care PAs
generally chose to enter primary care for the breadth and challenge of the practise. They are
happy to remain in this speciality, and they are working in a variety of settings. Many of the PAs
have variation in the numbers of physicians they report to and the type of patients they serve.
The demographic data shows that PAs are generally dealing with patients of both genders and
from a wide spectrum of minorities and socioeconomic levels. Overall the job satisfaction of the
PAs is exceptional, and their satisfaction with their patients, supervisory physicians, and other
staff and health care providers is outstanding.
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Keywords
Primary care, Physician Assistants