Physician associates 65 and older made up 4.1% of the board-certified PA workforce in 2023, and three-quarters of them were still practicing clinically, according to an analysis published in the August issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Physician Associates.
The study drew on 2023 workforce data from the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants, comparing demographic and practice attributes of 6,146 board-certified PAs 65 and older with 143,763 younger than 65. The data was largely self-reported and came from PAs who had completed or updated part of their NCCPA Professional Profile within the previous three years.
The authors were Roderick Hooker, PhD, a retired health policy consultant; James Cawley, PA-C, a professor and scholar in residence at the PA Leadership and Learning Academy within the University of Maryland School of Graduate Studies in Baltimore; and Mirela Bruza-Augatis, PhD, PA-C, Kasey Puckett and Andrzej Kozikowski, PhD, all of NCCPA in Johns Creek, Ga.
The authors said in the analysis that “Amid persistent physician shortages, understanding the practice patterns of PAs 65 and older is crucial for developing targeted policies and practices that support their retention.”
Here are six findings from the analysis:
1. Among PAs 65 and older, 75.3% reported practicing clinically, compared with 95% of those younger than 65.
2. Older PAs were nearly evenly split by gender, at 50.2% male, compared with 28% male among the younger cohort.
3. PAs 65 and older were more likely to live in rural or isolated areas, at 12.1% compared with 6.9%.
4. PAs 65 and older were also more likely to provide telemedicine care, at 44.5% compared with 42.7%.
5. Older PAs reported fewer burnout symptoms, at 22.8% compared with 34.6%, but slightly lower job satisfaction, at 81.5% compared with 83.1%.
6. Most older PAs (68%) intended to retire within five years, compared with 3.6% of younger PAs.
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