Perceptions of frontline providers on the appropriate qualifications for battalion level care in United States Army...

The U.S. Army emplaces physician assistants (PAs) in its maneuver battalions. When contingencies arise, clinic-based physicians join them to augment capability. Because both entities operate similarly, the policy permits a comparison of perceptions of optimal skill sets for the battalion medical mission.

We conducted a survey to discover associations in opinion regarding the best qualifications for battalion care. We asked deployed PAs and physicians to rate themselves and their counterparts in eight domains. We hypothesized that both entities would rate PAs as superior based on their permanent presence at battalion level and their familiarity with the disease and injury patterns of their population.

Among 26 respondents, PAs awarded themselves a score of 8.3 +/- 0.3 out of 10 and a score of 6.5 +/- 0.5 to physicians. Physicians awarded PAs a score of 8.4 +/- 0.3 and themselves a score of 8.3 +/- 0.3.

Participants support the PA as an appropriate capability for battalion care in prolonged combat environments.