Assessing the current status of tobacco dependence education curricula in U.S. physician assistant programs

Tobacco use continues to be the single most preventable cause of death and disease in the United States. A paradigm shift is needed in physician assistant (PA) education to address tobacco dependence as a chronic, relapsing disease requiring patient education, counseling, treatment, and follow-up.

A national study was conducted to assess the existing tobacco dependence education currently offered in U.S. PA programs. An established tobacco dependence curriculum survey was revised and mailed to the 141 accredited PA programs in the United States during the 2008-2009 academic year. The survey asked respondents to report the following with regard to tobacco dependence education content in their PA program; (1) Perceived self-efficacy and barriers; (2) Medical topics covered and minutes spent; (3) Evaluation of students' competency level; (4) Tobacco courses, topics, and resources used; and (5) Level of tobacco-cessation competency expected upon graduation.

A total of 79 surveys were returned (56% response rate). Though, on average, over 827 minutes (14 hours) were devoted to tobacco dependence education curriculum, most minutes (223 minutes) were spent on the health effects of tobacco use, with only 42 minutes spent on cessation counseling, 55 minutes on medications, and 13 minutes on integrating tobacco-cessation into clinical practice.

PA educators have the unique opportunity to affect tobacco-related morbidity and mortality. The present study demonstrates that PA instructors are more than adequately teaching students about tobacco use. However, it is not clear if students are being adequately taught how to assist patients to quit using tobacco.