Knowledge of clinical assessment, diagnosis, and treatment offetal alcohol syndrome: how much is taught in a pa schoolcurriculum?

Abstract

The effects of maternal alcohol use on unborn children have been observed for millennia. These effects include abnormal facial variations, growth retardation, neurological or behavioral problems, decreased cognitive functioning, poor socialization skills, and attention and distractibility problems. Patients may have any degree of symptoms, from mild to severe, or any combination thereof, thus presenting health care providers with the dilemma of correct diagnosis. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the curricula of the Physician Assistant education programs regarding clinical assessment, diagnosis and treatment of fetal alcohol syndrome. Design – Cross sectional, evaluative survey. Participants – all US PA programs. Measurement - A responder from each PA program [either Director or faculty member] will be asked a series of 5 questions concerning knowledge of the disorder, diagnosis and treatment, and adequacy of the training provided. Data Analysis - Data will be analyzed using standard statistical estimates. Results - Analysis should reveal data that can be compared between schools, or saved for future research. Limitations of this study may include inadequate number of responses, unknowledgeable responder, intentional false answering, and/or design error.