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PA licensure questions, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and seeking medical care
Christopher Roman1, Stephanie Neary, Emily Nettesheim
1Christopher Roman is an associate professor in the PA program at Butler University in Indianapolis, Ind. Stephanie Neary is an assistant professor adjunct in the PA Online Program at Yale University in New Haven, Conn. At the time this article was written, Emily Nettesheim was a student in the PA program at Butler University. Jennifer Zorn is an associate professor and program director of the Doctor of Medical Science program at Butler University. The authors have disclosed no potential conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise.
Objective:
This study built on a recent publication to explore physician assistant (PA) licensure renewal applications, as well as PA likelihood to seek help for physical or mental health conditions.
Methods:
We were able to obtain licensure renewal applications from 47 states. A national survey was then conducted to explore the connection between licensure questions and help-seeking behavior.
Results:
Only 18 states were consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in their approach to initial and renewal applications. Thirty-five percent of PAs expressed reluctance to seek help for a mental health issue due to concerns about licensure repercussions. States with applications that were inconsistent with the ADA were significantly more likely to express these concerns.
Conclusions:
Considerable stigma exists among PAs regarding seeking help for mental health issues. Problematic licensure questions increase this reluctance. Advocacy is needed to reduce stigma of mental health and substance use, and to modernize licensure applications.
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