What research opportunities are available to physician associates (PAs) to improve patient care and outcomes?

Research Opportunities for Physician Associates to Improve Patient Care and Outcomes

Physician associates (PAs) have multiple research opportunities available to engage in patient-centered outcomes research that can directly improve care quality, patient experience, and health outcomes.

Key Research Areas for PAs

Patient-Centered Care Research

• PAs can participate in research that engages patients and families as partners in healthcare design, delivery, and evaluation 1
• Studies show that including patients in research protocols and determining patient-centered outcomes leads to more relevant interventions and improved sustainability of positive health effects 1
• Research opportunities exist for developing and testing interventions that introduce the PA role to hospital patients, addressing confusion about novel practitioner roles 2

Quality Improvement and Systems Research

• PAs can contribute to quality improvement teams, participate in outcomes research, and advise on health facility design 1
• Research opportunities include studying PA integration into multiprofessional teams and the impact on continuity of care 3
• PAs can engage in comparative effectiveness research to identify preferred clinical approaches for patients, potentially improving outcomes while reducing costs 1

Clinical and Translational Research

• Opportunities exist for PAs to design studies that provide clinically actionable information, including clinical, molecular, and modifiable behavioral risk factors that influence prognosis, recurrence, and survival 1
• PAs can participate in research addressing special populations such as long-term survivors, patients with comorbidities, and adolescent/young adult cancer survivors 1
• Research can focus on screening interventions that inform evidence-based clinical care guidelines 1

Research Methodologies Available to PAs

Collaborative Research Models

• PAs can join interprofessional research teams where patients and families participate in redesigning care processes 1
• Opportunities exist to participate in learning communities and research networks that address health disparities in specific populations 1
• Experience-based co-design approaches enable development of interventions tailored to patients' experiential preferences 2

Data Collection and Analysis

• PAs can participate in studies utilizing electronic health records, linking databases, and developing new registries 1
• Research opportunities include developing and testing new technologies for data collection 1
• PAs can engage in research that establishes consistent data elements for electronic medical records 1

Implementation Strategies

Building Research Skills

• PAs can develop research skills through structured preceptorship programs that include research components 4
• Continuing medical education (CME) activities that are interactive, use multiple methods, involve multiple exposures, and focus on outcomes important to clinicians lead to more positive outcomes 5
• PAs can participate in regional quality improvement programs and champion best practices 1

Addressing Research Gaps

• Current research on PA efficacy and safety is limited, creating opportunities for PAs to contribute to this knowledge base 6
• Research is needed to explore staff concerns, examine safety incidents, and inform national scope of practice for PAs 6
• Studies are needed to evaluate the value of PAs in various healthcare settings, particularly in primary care 6

Practical Considerations

Research Funding and Support

• PAs should seek funding opportunities that support infrastructure for adequate follow-up of patients in cohort studies 1
• Funding is available for data linkage to electronic medical records and disease registries 1
• Multi-year stability in funding for comparative effectiveness research is required to maintain infrastructure and reap long-term benefits 1

Overcoming Barriers

• PAs should address barriers to research participation, including lack of universal patient identifiers and challenges in patient accrual 1
• Research should focus on studies conducted within the United States, as studies from other healthcare systems may have limited applicability 1
• PAs should consider the needs of vulnerable patient populations when developing and applying research 1

By engaging in these research opportunities, physician associates can make significant contributions to improving patient care and outcomes while also advancing their professional role within healthcare teams.