Physician assistant education: an analysis of the Journal of Physician Assistant Education

The literature of a profession reflects its vitality, activity, and intellectual temperature. A thorough review of literature can reveal areas of growth and improvement as well as serve as a means to share relevant research accomplishments. As the physician assistant (PA) education profession continues to thrive and expand, it is important for the literature that reflects the profession to also develop and expand its audience.

A retrospective, systematic analysis of published research articles in the Journal of Physician Assistant Education (JPAE) and its predecessor publication, Perspective on Physician Assistant Education, from 2001-2011 (N = 145) was conducted. Articles were organized by study topic, cohort of interest, and methodology and further analyzed to determine respective response rates and frequency of topics.

Nearly one-fourth of all articles considered were dedicated to studying various PA curricula. Methodological approaches used in these studies tended toward Internet-based surveys, but telephone-based surveys retained the highest response rate (97%). Among study subjects (cohorts) examined, the most frequently studied cohort consisted of PA students, who displayed high response rates (74.4%).

The total number of articles published in JPAE increased annually; study methodology reflects a predominance of survey research approaches. Analysis from this review of 10 years of JPAE content suggests that studies using effective methodology to gain high response rates, those that have more sophisticated designs and use appropriate statistical measures, and those that aim to reach a more diverse pool of cohorts may be future goals.