Skip to main content
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Physician assistants

A Comparative Analysis of New York's Active Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants
Research brief using data drawn from survey responses collected between September 2015 - December 2017, exploring similarities and differences between New York state physician assistants and nurse practitioners. Features statistics with breakdowns by rural and urban practice locations.
Author(s): Yuhao Liu, Robert Martiniano, Jean Moore
Date: 05/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Center for Health Workforce Studies
view details
Physician Assistants: Modernize Laws to Improve Rural Access
National Rural Health Association policy paper describing benefits to rural communities when practice barriers are removed and payments are sufficient to attract physician assistants to the area. Includes recommendations to help achieve this goal.
Author(s): Roger Wells, Megan Cody, Robert Alpino, Melissa Van Dyne, Ross Abbott, et al.
Date: 04/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
view details
The Physician Assistant Workforce In North Carolina
Describes the current supply of physician assistants (PAs) in North Carolina, examining demographic trends, practice locations, demand for services, and trends in education. Includes a county-level map showing concentrations of PAs as of 2016, statistics on growth of the PA workforce in North Carolina from 2000-2016, and diversity of the North Carolina population and PA workforce as of 2016, with breakdowns by ethnic or racial groups. Also includes a county-level map showing locations of PA programs in North Carolina, with shadings for urban and non-urban counties, and statistics on enrollments in PA programs, 2015-2017.
Author(s): Julie C. Spero, Zahabiya Petiwala
Date: 01/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: The Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research
view details
Evaluation of a Potential New Health Sciences School at The University of North Carolina at Pembroke to Meet the Needs of the Region and State
Results of a study exploring the feasibility of establishing a School of Health Sciences and Health Care in Robeson County, a rural high-poverty area ranked among the worst for health outcomes in North Carolina in 2016. Features statistics on the North Carolina workforce and education programs in optometry, occupational therapy, nutrition and dietetics, as well as physician assistants and nurse practitioners.
Author(s): Julie C. Spero, Thomas J. Bacon, Evan M. Galloway, et al.
Date: 12/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: The Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research
view details
Trends in Primary Care Provision to Medicare Beneficiaries by Physicians, Nurse Practitioners, or Physician Assistants: 2008-2014
Examines trends in elderly patients receiving primary care from physicians alone, physicians with nurse practitioners (NPs) and/or physician assistants (PAs), and NPs/PAs without physicians. Considered these models for delivering primary care to Medicare patients with multiple chronic conditions and Medicare patients in rural and health professional shortage areas (HPSAs).
Author(s): Ying Xue, James S. Goodwin, Deepak Adhikari, Mukaila A. Raji, Yong-Fang Kuo
Citation: Journal of Primary Care and Community Health, 8(4), 256-263
Date: 10/2017
Type: Document
view details
The Influence of the Degree of Rurality on EMR Adoption, by Physician Specialty
Study examining the adoption of electronic medical record (EMR) technology based on degree of rurality using Rural-Urban Continuum Codes. Analyzes 2012 data from over 270,000 physician practices on rates of EMR technology adoption and provider specializations. Presents data based on average daily patient volume and type of provider, including nurse practitioners and physician assistants.
Author(s): Brian E. Whitacre
Citation: Health Services Research, 52(2), 616-633
Date: 04/2017
Type: Document
view details
Veterans Health Administration: Actions Needed to Better Recruit and Retain Clinical and Administrative Staff
Testimony before the House Subcommittee on Health and the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs detailing the Veterans Health Administration's (VHA) challenges in attracting, hiring, and retaining top healthcare talent, including in rural locations. Also discusses the VHA's capacity to perform key human resources functions and makes recommendations for future improvements.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 03/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
view details
Learning by Doing: The MD-PA Interprofessional Education Rural Rotation
Describes the Combined Medical-Physician Assistant Student Rural Rotation (Med-PARR) program at the Oregon Health & Science University, in which pairs of third-year MD students and second-year PA students spend 5 weeks together in a primary-care-focused clinical rotation in a rural area.
Author(s): Ryan Palmer, Curt Stilp
Citation: Rural and Remote Health, 17(1), 4167
Date: 03/2017
Type: Document
view details
California's Primary Care Workforce: Current Supply, Characteristics, and Pipeline of Trainees
Describes the supply, distribution, and characteristics of California's primary care clinicians with rural-relevant information included throughout. Addresses primary care residency program distribution and training.
Additional links: Executive Summary
Author(s): Janet Coffman, Igor Geyn, Kristine Himmerick
Date: 02/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Healthforce Center at UCSF
view details
Determinants of Oral Health Assessment and Screening in Physician Assistant Clinical Practice
Results of a survey of physician assistant graduates, focused on their education in oral health and if or how they included oral health screenings and referrals in their clinical practice after graduation. Data and statistics for rural health clinics included, along with contributing factors of care such as availability of dentists, lack of insurance, and cost of dental work.
Date: 12/2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Center for Health Workforce Studies
view details