PAS-5007 PA Seminar
This course is designed to introduce Physician Assistant (PA) students to pertinent issues of medical practice and the PA role in providing quality, patient-centered care. The student will receive specific instruction in professionalism, cross-cultural competency, diversity, and public health. As a requirement of student participation in clinical experiences, instruction will be provided regarding the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and safety precaution guidelines related to blood-borne pathogens. Documentation, billing and coding, reimbursement, quality assurance, risk management, medicolegal issues, and medical ethics will be discussed. The course will also address the history and evolution of the PA profession in U.S. medicine, the status, trends, and characteristics of PA health care providers, their education, regulation, practice patterns, external relations, and professional organizations. Issues related to PA health workforce policy are presented, along with aspects of PA salary and practice economics, specialization, PA political issues, and the globalization of the PA concept.