Evaluation of a targeted curriculum on patient poverty funded by Title VII.

PURPOSE

There is limited knowledge about the perceptions of physician assistant (PA) students on poverty issues and the importance of treating the poor. We assessed whether a curriculum focused on these issues improved the perceptions of PA students on issues of poverty.

METHODS

The study was designed to measure perception change after PA students were exposed to a patient poverty curriculum. A pre- and postpatient poverty survey of 14 questions was completed by three classes of PA students at one program.

RESULTS

The mean posttest scores were significantly lower on all items except two, indicating that student perceptions of their abilities to serve indigent populations improved after experiencing the curriculum in the PA program.

CONCLUSION

A targeted curriculum that emphasizes issues related to poverty appears to improve PA students' perceptions of their ability to serve indigent populations. This program's design could serve as a model for other programs striving to attain similar goals.