State of Evidence-Based Practice in Physician Assistant Education

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Health Professions Education
• Evidence-Based Practice

Background:

• Evidence-based practice (EBP) is crucial for enhancing patient outcomes and care quality.
• While EBP education in other health fields is studied, its integration into physician assistant (PA) programs remains underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the current landscape of how accredited PA programs incorporate and teach evidence-based practice (EBP) within their curricula.

Main Methods:

• A survey adapted from medical school studies was distributed to 186 accredited PA programs.
• Data analysis involved descriptive statistics and qualitative summarization of text responses regarding EBP instruction.

Main Results:

• A 45.2% response rate (84 out of 186 programs) was achieved.
• Nearly all responding programs (95%) reported formal EBP training, with instructional hours varying widely (4-550 hours).
• Lack of time was the most cited barrier to EBP curriculum implementation, reported by 27% of programs.

Conclusions:

• The majority of surveyed PA programs provide formal EBP training.
• Significant variation exists in EBP teaching methods and allocated hours, indicating a need for greater standardization.
• Implementing specific EBP accreditation standards by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant could address barriers and improve consistency.