AAPA census data indicate that compared to younger PAs, PAs working beyond their seventh decade work more in primary care and nonurban areas. Knowing how long PAs continue to practice and what fields they choose will help workforce planners predict needs.

This study identifies baseline statistics for the current workforce in Indiana as a context for changes that will occur because of the rapid increase in the number of PAs, changes in prescriptive laws, and the opening of a number of new Indiana PA programs.

Inappropriate antibiotic use in hospitals is a major public health issue, and this study shows how collaboration between PAs and hospitalists can improve antimicrobial utilization.

In this study, PAs successfully managed chest pain and trauma patients with no adverse events or missed injuries occurring during the trial period. The results demonstrate the viability of using PAs to staff emergency department observation units.

Adding PAs and NPs significantly reduced ICU length of stay without increasing complications. These clinicians offer a clinically effective and resource-efficient alternative to residents on a trauma service.

Most emergency physicians agree that use of PAs in the ED may improve patient communication, decrease wait times, increase patient satisfaction, and thus decrease malpractice risk.

This study compares patient outcomes in a physician assistant-run medical intensive care unit with those in a resident-run medical intensive care unit. The results are consistent with previous studies.

The PAs surveyed for this study had supportive attitudes toward patients with HIV/AIDS, but further research is needed to learn whether this view extends to the profession as a whole.

Projected demand for PA services in the Veterans Health Administration is expected to grow to 2,550 by 2018. Strategies are under way to improve the cadre of PAs in the VA.

The author's survey results suggest that male PAs are more satisfied with their jobs, while female PAs are more likely to recommend the PA profession to others.