Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33148193›Full record

ArticleBMC geriatrics2020

Physician assistants in geriatric medical care.

Andrzej Kozikowski, Trenton Honda, Freddi Segal-Gidan, Roderick S Hooker

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC geriatrics, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
0.8field-weighted citation impact, top 18% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 10 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
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    Article
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.

Andrzej KozikowskiNational Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants, Johns Creek, GA, 30097, USA.
Trenton HondaNortheastern University, 202 Robinson Hall, 360 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
Freddi Segal-GidanDepartments of Neurology and Family Medicine, University of Southern California (USC) Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Roderick S HookerNorthern Arizona University, 15917 NE Union Rd, Ridgeview, WA, 98642, USA. rodhooker@msn.com.ORCID 0000-0002-8416-8673
National Health and Family Planning Commission · CNNortheastern University · USUnion University · USUniversity of Southern California · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe US population is maturing. As of 2020, over 52 million (16%) people are age 65 or older. With a citizenry that is increasingly "gray," the nation is short of medical providers who specialize in geriatric medical care. For example, the number of geriatrician physicians per 10,000 adults 65 years and older has decreased since 2000, with approximately 5300 in 2018. Nurse practitioners in geriatric medical care numbered 598 in 2018. Considering that the projected needs by 2030 will be over 30,000, the trajectory of geriatricians is becoming increasingly inadequate for the aging population. Physician assistants (PA) are another class of providers that are filling this geriatric medical care role, although little has been published. To address this role of PAs a study was undertaken.

methodsThe National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants databank provided the number and characteristics of PAs in geriatric medicine and compared them to all other certified PAs. Analyses included descriptive statistics, Chi-Square, and Wilcoxon Rank Sum tests for comparisons between PAs practicing in geriatric medical care vs. all other PA specialties. Where a comparison between PAs in geriatrics and other specialties was made, a P value of .05 or less was considered statistically significant.

resultsAs of 2018, there were 794 certified PAs, or 0.8% of the certified PA workforce, in geriatric medical care. This cadre has grown significantly since 2013, both in total number (increasing over 373%) and as a percentage of the PA workforce. The median age of certified PAs in geriatrics is 45 years, and 79% are female. Almost half (46%) of PAs in geriatric medicine work in extended care facilities or nursing homes, which differs from PAs in non-geriatric care. Another 8% work in government facilities and 8% in rehabilitation facilities. In 2018, the mean annual income for this PA group was $106,680.

conclusionsAs the American population continues to age, the relative growth of PAs in geriatric medicine makes them a natural part of the solution to the projected physician geriatrician deficit. The role of PAs in geriatric medical care remains to be explored.

Indexed as

GeriatricsPhysician AssistantsAgedAgingFemaleHumansMaleUnited StatesWorkforceGeriatricsGerontologyMedical economicsNCCPANurse practitionersPhysician associate

Identifiers

PMID33148193
PMCPMC7643446
OpenAlexW3096183538

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.