Members of the American Academy of Physician Assistants have called on the organization to investigate the feasibility of changing the discipline's professional title, the AAPA said in a statement released May 22.
Members of the academy’s house of delegates passed a resolution to obtain more insight into the feasibility of altering the profession's title. The group also reportedly discussed alternatives to rename the profession.
"PAs did not vote to change our professional title; we are simply going to explore alternatives that may better communicate our role to patients in today's healthcare environment, as well as the practical implications of implementing a potential change,” said L. Gail Curtis, president and chair of AAPA's board of directors.
"The passage of this resolution should not be interpreted as a move toward independent practice; rather, it's an opportunity to consider if our current professional title accurately conveys to our patients the PA role on the healthcare team," she added.
The resolution requests that the academy’s board of directors reach out to independent consulting or research firms to discuss the potential change and note causes for concern. The organization expects the process to take at least one year.
The board will deliver a report to the organization's house of delegates in May 2019.