Experienced physician associates in hospitals: an evaluation

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  Experienced physician associates in hospitals: an evaluation of the National Physician Associate Expansion Programme

• IRAS ID

  240726

• Contact name

  VM Drennan

• Contact email

  v.drennan@sgul.kingston.ac.uk

• Sponsor organisation

  Kingston University

• Duration of Study in the UK

  0 years, 5 months, 16 days

• Research summary

  The National Physician Associate Expansion Programme (NPAEP) is an NHS workforce development programme focused on increasing the number of experienced physician associates (PAs) working in NHS hospitals. PAs are medically trained professionals who work alongside doctors and provide medical care as part of the healthcare team. Most of the 27 experienced PAs recruited by the NPAEP are US-trained.
  
  The purpose of this NPAEP-funded study is to evaluate the impact that experienced PAs have made in NHS medical teams and the extent to which they have prepared the ground for employment in hospitals of newly qualified UK-trained PAs. The evaluation will answer the following questions:

  1. How do experienced PAs fit into different types of medical and surgical teams and the delivery of care?
  2. Does the presence of experienced PAs in medical and surgical teams make a difference to service delivery with regard to quality, safety and effectiveness?
  3. How do patients perceive the PA role with medical and surgical teams and to what extent are they understood and accepted as a new type of professional in the team/service?
  4. Does the presence of experienced fixed-term contract PAs influence workforce development, planning and staffing decisions in medical and surgical teams within a Trust?

  The evaluation will be conducted in up to eight NHS Hospital Trusts. Mixed methods will be employed. Individual semi-structured interviews will be sought among a sample of adult patients, PAs, and staff, in the service in which an experienced PA works in each participating Trust. Telephone interviews of 30-40 minutes will be conducted with staff and PA participants. Interviews of 30 minutes with patient participants will take place face-to-face within the hospital and/or by telephone after discharge, dependent on patient choice. Additionally, internal documents providing quantitative data to understand the impact or contribution of PAs will be requested and analysed.

• REC name

  HSC REC B

• REC reference

  18/NI/0026

• Date of REC Opinion

  7 Feb 2018

• REC opinion

  Further Information Favourable Opinion