The physician assistant workforce in Indiana: preparing to meet future health care needs

Area of Science:

• Health Workforce Studies
• Physician Assistant Demographics
• Indiana Healthcare Analysis

Background:

• Physician assistants (PAs) are vital to healthcare delivery.
• Understanding the PA workforce in Indiana is crucial for health policy.
• Baseline data for Indiana's PAs from 1978-2010 is lacking.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish baseline demographic and descriptive statistics for Indiana's physician assistants (PAs) from 1978 to 2010.
• To characterize the PA workforce and their supervising physicians in Indiana.
• To provide a foundation for future research on the impact of policy changes on Indiana's PA workforce.

Main Methods:

• Data sourced from the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency, Indiana State Department of Health, and PA educational programs.
• Descriptive statistical analyses were employed.
• Characterized both the PA workforce and their supervising physicians.

Main Results:

• Indiana's PA workforce is largely educated and born outside the state.
• A significant 97% increase in active licensed PAs in Indiana over 8 years.
• Only 24% of PAs practice primary care; 92% are in metropolitan areas.
• Despite a trend towards underserved areas, overall numbers remain low.

Conclusions:

• Indiana PAs increasingly practice in medical specialties over primary care.
• The study provides essential baseline data for future Indiana PA workforce research.
• Further studies are needed to assess the impact of evolving healthcare policy on Indiana's PAs.