Last year’s annual conference marked a historic high point of both the breadth and quality in the research department’s offerings of research-related sessions. We’re happy to announce that we’ve built upon that foundation for IMPACT 2012, and are offering even more and better sessions this May. There will be at least one for everybody to enjoy, from PA students to the most seasoned investigator of PA data. Click on each event for more details.
Monday, May 28, 2012; 8 a.m.-noon
104 CD
In today’s fast moving healthcare system, PAs need to be equipped with the research skills of physicians. Taught by four leading PA professors, this interactive session will provide PAs and PA students with a step-by-step introduction to the process of performing research. It will demonstrate how to develop a researchable question, and describe the various research methodologies that could be used to investigate it. Attendance is free with conference registration, but seating is limited. To reserve your space e-mail Josh Umar at jumar@aapa.org.
Schedule
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(15 minutes)
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Opening Introduction (Raymond Fang, AAPA vice president for research) |
| (30 minutes) |
1. Workshop overview and brief review of the research process
- Workshop goal(s) and objectives
- The research process in a nutshell
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| (75 minutes) |
2. Developing the research question
- Brief review of the morphology of the research question
- Group activity: audience and faculty work in groups to develop researchable questions, with a goal of each participant developing a research question of interest to them
- Presentation of example from each group, with discussion ensuing where the faculty can function as an “expert panel”
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| (75 minutes) |
3. Designing the research methods
- Brief review of the research methods process
- Group activity: audience and faculty work in groups to develop appropriate study design and methods to one or more of the groups’ previously-developed research questions
- Presentation of example from each group, with discussion ensuing where the faculty can function as an “expert panel”
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| (45 minutes) |
4. Putting it all together
- Expert panel: faculty will serve as a panel to address questions from the audience about how any of the previously-presented ideas could be made into a research project.
- Informal consultation: at the end of this session faculty will remain to work more closely with any interested participants with the goal of providing guidance as well as establishing mentoring relationships
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| Instructors |
PAs Richard Dehn (North Arizona University), Pamela Donohue (Johns Hopkins), Perri Morgan (Duke) and Mary Warner (Yale) |
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Tuesday, May 29, 2012; 7:30 a.m.-9:15 a.m. (breakfast is provided)
717 AB, Metro Toronto Convention Centre
This annual forum is a platform for PA researchers and policymakers to have both general and area-specific discussions on PA-focused workforce research. Agenda items will include summarizing the progress and accomplishments made since the PA Research Agenda was established in 2011, discussing new research findings and topics under development and identifying gaps in knowledge that need to be addressed going forward. The forum will also provide an opportunity for researchers and policymakers to network and exchange research ideas, data, methods and findings. Raymond Fang, AAPA vice president for research will host the forum and organizers will include leaders such as PAs Jim Cawley, Rod Hooker, Alison Essary, Perri Morgan, Josanne Pagel and Richard Dehn.
| Schedule |
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| (7:30 a.m.-7:45 a.m.) |
Opening Introduction (Raymond Fang, AAPA vice president for research)
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| (7:45 a.m.-8:15 a.m.) Moderator: Raymond Fang |
General Discussion: on progress in research data, research findings, new methodology, milestones and remaining knowledge gap |
| (8:15 a.m.-8:45 a.m.) Leads: PAs Josanne Pagel, Alison Essary, Roderick Hooker, Perri Morgan, Rick Dehn, James Cawley |
Breakout Sessions |
| PA Workforce Research (Leads: PAs Roderick Hooker and Perri Morgan) |
| PA Value and PA Roles (Leads: PAs Josanne Pagel and Alison Essary) |
| PA Education (Leads: PAs Richard Dehn and James Cawley) |
(8:45 a.m.-9:10 a.m.) Moderator: Raymond Fang |
Group reports and conclusions |
| (9:10 a.m.-9:15 a.m.) |
Closing |
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Tuesday, May 29, 2012; 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
717 AB, Metro Toronto Convention Center
This event will showcase the best in PA-focused research from the past year. Presentations of these peer-reviewed articles are organized into three broad categories, but will touch upon the wide variety of interests now pursued by scholars providing the highest quality evidence about PAs and the PA profession. The categories and specific topics are as follows:
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| Opening Speech (9:30 a.m.-9:45 a.m.) |
|
Raymond Fang, AAPA vice president for research |
| |
Chairs |
Presenters (time) |
Title |
| PA Value & Roles Session (9:45 a.m.-Noon) |
PAs Josanne Pagel/ Alison Essary (10 min) |
PA Folusho Ogunfiditimi (40 min) |
Models of Health Care Delivery – Appropriate utilization of PAs in Clinical Practice
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| PA Christine Everett (20 min) |
The role of PA/NPs on Primary Care Panels of Medicare Patients with Diabetes
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| PA Perri Morgan (20 min) |
Characteristics of Primary Care Office Visits to PAs, NP and Physicians in the VA, 2005-2010
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| PA Roderick Hooker (20 min) |
Canadians’ Willingness to Receive Care by Physician Assistants
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| PA David Carpenter (20 min) |
PAs in the Intensive Care Unit – Time Spent in Patient Care
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Q&A
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| AAPA-NCCPA Foundation PA Workforce Session (noon-1:40 p.m.) |
PAs Christine Everett/Perri Morgan (10 min) |
PA Randy Danielsen (40 min) |
PA Workforce Data Research
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| PA Jennifer Coombs (20 min) |
Compensation and Advancement for Male and Female PA Faculty
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| PA Roderick Hooker (20 min) |
A National Estimate of the U.S. Primary Care Provider Force
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| PA Ian Jones (20 min) |
2011 Canadian PA Survey: The Difference A Year Makes
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| PA Bettie Coplan (20 min) |
Demographic Analysis of Physician Assistants in Primary Care
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| PA Jennifer Coombs (20 min) |
Retirement Patterns for PAs
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| PA James Cawley (20 min) |
Projecting Physician Assistant Supply
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| PA Darron Smith (20 min) |
How are things at the office? How PA's Experience Race and Gender in the Workplace
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Q&A
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| AAPA-PAEA PA Education Session (1:40 p.m.-5 p.m.) |
PAs Jim Cawley/ Richard Dehn (10 min) |
PAEA (40 min) |
PA Research: It Begins with Education
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| Anita Glicken (20 min) |
Using State Physician Assistant (PA) Workforce Data to Inform Program Planning and State Workforce Policy
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| PA Chan Kulatunga-Moruzi (20 min) |
The introduction of written Multiple Mini Interview stations: Acceptability, feasibility and initial analyses
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| PA David Klocko (20 min) |
Short Term Effectiveness of an Inter-professional Education Course of PA and other Health Professions Students
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| PA Maura Polansky (20 min) |
Strategies for Workplace Learning Used by Entry-Level PAs
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| PA Ruth Ballweg (20 min) |
A Mixed Design Study on Life and Career of MEDEX Graduate Physician Assistants with International MD Degrees
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| Session Question Period |
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Wednesday, May 30 from 4:15 p.m.-5 p.m.
808, Metro Toronto Convention Center
Every year AAPA conducts its PA census survey, which we use to produce our popular Salary Report. What else do we do with the data, and how do we use it to make sure PAs’ voices are heard by legislators and policy makers all across the United States? Join a dialogue with Raymond Fang to find out. He will be accompanied by one of the most respected leaders in PA research who has used the census in their work, as well as members of AAPA’s staff from the communication and advocacy departments. Examples of AAPA’s own groundbreaking research and research agenda will be on display as well.
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Physician Assistant Research Alliance (PARA)
AAPA is happy to announce the creation of the PARA, our attempt to provide a permanent platform to support the coordinated, high-quality, original research necessary to advance the PA profession. In April 2011, AAPA developed its first-ever PA research agenda identifying four main areas of research: PA workforce, PA value, PA roles and PA education. Within PARA, four research groups have been formed to address these major areas of interest.
PARA membership is open to all researchers and policymakers who share common interests in PA-focused research. Participants can join any group or multiple groups. To sign up, please contact Josh Umar, AAPA policy analyst and PARA coordinator. He can be reached at (571) 319-4330 or jumar@aapa.org.
Volunteer Opportunities at AAPA -- Student Research Internship
The American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA) has established a Volunteer Research Assistant Program (VRAP) to expose graduate students to healthcare research, and to familiarize them with the opportunities that exist for careers in healthcare research. Volunteer researchers will:
- Learn essential research concepts and methods in a fast-paced research environment
- Develop hands-on experience with data processing and analysis
- Gain research skills, from idea generation and data collection to reporting results
- Apply social scientific and statistical methods to real-world problems in healthcare
How to Apply:
The VRAP is an ongoing opportunity, so there is no deadline to apply. The program lasts a minimum of twelve weeks. To apply, please send your resume and two references (with contact information) to Lynn Schoenfelder at lschoenfelder@aapa.org. In the resume, please list all courses related to data analysis and research methods and any previous work experience in a research environment. Please note that only candidates who are selected for interview will be contacted.