PAs are just one way to increase access to health care, but they are a profession with a proven track record in Canada—and one that suggests small investments will produce a high rate of return.

The UK PA profession is in its infancy but shows potential to be a flexible source of medical care provision in the United Kingdom as it has been in the United States.

The methodology for predicting medical workforce supply and demand consists of estimating the future medical provider workforce as well as modeling future demand for medical services.

The PA profession continues to shift away from primary care toward specialty care. Demand for PAs is increasing in relatively new specialties in the United States, creating new employment opportunities in these areas of practice.

This installment reviews a quality of care comparison study, a novel study of patient willingness to see a PA or NP rather than a physician prior to the visit, and an article that disagrees with the second article's conclusions.

This installment of Research Corner reviews a detailed analysis of a pilot project that utilized five US-trained PAs in various setting in Queensland, Australia.

Four articles that review the impact and roles for physician assistants in hospital-based practice settings are reviewed.

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.