The association of physician assistant/associate demographic and practice characteristics with perceptions of value of certification

BACKGROUND: To determine physician assistant/associate (PA) perceptions of the value of certification and explore how they vary across demographic and practice characteristics. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional online survey between March and April 2020 with PAs participating in the longitudinal pilot program for recertification administered by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA). The survey was distributed to 18,147 PAs, of which 10,965 participated (60.4% response rate). In addition to descriptive statistics, chi-square tests were conducted on demographics and specialty to examine if perceptions of value of certification (1 global and 10 items measuring specific domains) were associated with a particular PA profile. A series of fully adjusted multivariate logistic regressions were performed, exploring the relationship between PA characteristics and the value of certification items. RESULTS: Most PAs strongly agreed/agreed that certification helps with fulfilling licensure requirements (9,578/10,893; 87.9%), helps with updating medical knowledge (9,372/10,897; 86.0%), and provides objective evidence of continued competence (8,875/10,902; 81.4%). The items receiving the lowest percentage of responses for strongly agreeing/agreeing were for certification providing no value (1,925/10,887; 17.7%), helping with professional liability insurance (5,076/10,889; 46.6%), and competing with other providers for clinical positions (5,661/10,905; 51.9%). Age 55 and older and practicing in dermatology and psychiatry were among the strongest predictors of less favorable views. PAs from underrepresented in medicine (URiM) backgrounds had more positive perceptions. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, the findings indicate that PAs value certification; however, perceptions varied by demographics and specialties. PAs who were younger, from URiM backgrounds, and practicing in primary care specialties had among the most favorable perspectives. Continued feedback monitoring is critical in ensuring certification is relevant and meaningful in supporting PAs across demographics and specialties. Measuring PA perceptions of the value of certification is essential to understanding how to support the PA profession's current and future credentialing needs and those who license and hire PAs.