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Tobacco education in US physician assistant programs

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Abstract

Background. Few health degree programs incorporate sufficient tobacco cessation education in core curricula. Methods. A national survey of 132 PA programs assessed the extent to which tobacco is addressed, educational methods, perceived importance and adequacy of tobacco education, and perceived barriers to enhancing tobacco-related content. Results. Surveys (n=99; 75%) revealed a median of 150 minutes of tobacco education throughout the degree program. Key barriers to enhancing training are lack of curriculum time and lack of access to comprehensive, evidence-based resources. Two-thirds expressed interest in participating in a nationwide effort to enhance tobacco cessation training. Conclusions. Similar to other disciplines, enhanced tobacco education is needed in PA programs to adequately prepare graduates to address the primary known cause of preventable death in the United States.

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Author information

Author notes

  1. Karen Suchanek Hudmon DRPH

    Present address: Department of Pharmacy Practice Purdue University School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, W7555 Meyers Building, Wishard Health Services, 1001 W. 10th Street, 46202, Indianapolis, IN, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of California San Francisco, USA

    Robin L. Corelli Pharmd & Karen Suchanek Hudmon DRPH

  2. Yale University, USA

    Lisa N. Houston MPH, Mary Warner MMSC, PA-C & Karen Suchanek Hudmon DRPH

  3. Department of Pharmacy Practice Purdue University School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, W7555 Meyers Building, Wishard Health Services, 1001 W. 10th Street, 46202, Indianapolis, IN, USA

    Christine M. Fenlon BFA

Authors
  1. Lisa N. Houston MPH
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  2. Mary Warner MMSC, PA-C
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  3. Robin L. Corelli Pharmd
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  4. Christine M. Fenlon BFA
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  5. Karen Suchanek Hudmon DRPH
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Karen Suchanek Hudmon DRPH.

Additional information

Supported by a fellowship from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Grant P50-AA15632, through the Yale University Transdisciplinary Tobacco Use Research Center to Lisa Houston (S O’Malley, Principal Investigator). This research was also supported in part by Grant NCI R25 CA90720 (KS Hudmon, Principal Investigator).

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Houston, L.N., Warner, M., Corelli, R.L. et al. Tobacco education in US physician assistant programs. J Canc Educ 24, 107–113 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1080/08858190902854475

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