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- Title
The Importance of Diversity in the Physician Assistant/Associate Workforce: Examining the Profession's Growth and Trends in Demographic Composition.
- Authors
Kozikowski, Andrzej; Bruza-Augatis, Mirela; Morton-Rias, Dawn; Quella, Alicia; Fleming, Shani; Bradley-Guidry, Carolyn; Mauldin, Sheila; Jeffery, Colette; Puckett, Kasey; Goodman, Joshua
- Abstract
Introduction: Healthcare workforce diversity is essential for increasing access and reducing racial/ethnic health disparities. We examined the growth and trends in physician assistant/associate (PA) workforce demographic composition by initial year of certification. Methods: Drawing on data from the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants, we aggregated gender, age (1975-2020), race/ethnicity, and underrepresented in medicine (URiM) (2000-2020). Descriptive statistics of demographics were calculated by the initial certification year and assessed for trends using the Cochran-Armitage test. Results: Analyses revealed an 11.7% annual growth rate in PAs earning initial certification and a change in gender composition (23.9% to 74.2% female) from 1975 to 2020. Between 2000 and 2020, we observed significant increases (all p<0.001) in the proportions of PAs who self-identify as Asian (5.7 percentage points), Hispanic/Latino(a) (3.5 percentage points), and multiracial (2.4 percentage points). However, there was a decline (all p<0.001) in the proportions of PAs who self-identify as Black/African American (1.2 percentage points), American Indian/Alaska Native (0.1 percentage points), Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (0.1 percentage points), and other race (1.1 percentage points). Trend analyses revealed that the proportion of PAs identifying as URiM decreased over the past 21 years. Conclusion: Ongoing assessment of the PA workforce demographics is essential to track the progress and effectiveness of diversification initiatives.
- Subjects
PHYSICIANS' assistants; STATISTICAL hypothesis testing; MEDICAL care; SEX distribution; DIVERSITY in the workplace; CERTIFICATION; DESCRIPTIVE statistics; RETROSPECTIVE studies; PROFESSIONAL employee training; BLACK Africans; DATA analysis software; LABOR supply; CULTURAL pluralism; NATIVE Americans
- Publication
Journal of Medical Regulation, 2024, Vol 110, Issue 1, p7
- ISSN
2572-1801
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.30770/2572-1852-110.1.7