Program Competencies and Program Performance Measures

CCPA Program Graduate Competencies

Clinical and Technical Skills (CTS)

CTS_1. Gather essential and accurate information about patients and their health status through history taking, physical examination, and the use of laboratory data, imaging, and other diagnostic modalities

CTS_2. Perform medical and surgical procedures with appropriate supervision.

Clinical Reasoning and Problem- Solving Abilities (CRPS)

CRPS_1. For patients of all ages, differentiate between the normal and the abnormal in anatomy, physiology, laboratory findings, and other diagnostic data

CRPS_2. Discern among, and provide appropriate care for, patients with acute, chronic, and emergent disease states

CRPS_3. Evaluate and address issues of ongoing signs, symptoms, or health concerns that remain over time without clear diagnosis despite evaluation and treatment

CRPS_4. Identify the appropriate site of care for presenting conditions, including identifying emergent cases and those requiring referral or admission to including ensure continuity of care

CRPS_5. Apply established and emerging principles of clinical sciences to diagnostic and therapeutic decision making, clinical problem solving, and other aspects of evidence-based health care

CRPS_6. Apply principles of social–behavioral sciences to provision of patient care, including assessment of the impact of psychosocial–cultural influences on health, disease, care-seeking, care compliance, and barriers to and attitudes toward care

CRPS_7. Recognize the cultural norms, needs, influences, and socioeconomic, environmental, and other population-level determinants affecting the health of the individual and community being served, and incorporate them into evaluation and management of the patient

CRPS_8. Recognize the potential impacts of the social community, environment, biology, and genetics on patients and incorporate them into decisions of care

CRPS_9. Apply principles of epidemiological sciences to the identification of health problems, risk factors, treatment strategies, resources, and disease prevention/health promotion efforts for patients

CRPS_10. Locate, appraise, and integrate evidence from scientific studies related to their patients’ health problems

CRPS_11. Recognize the need for, and methods for locating/providing, assistive services/ technologies that patients may require for physical, mental or emotional disabilities

CRPS_12. Use the full scope of knowledge, skills, and abilities of available health professionals to provide care that is safe, timely, efficient, effective, and equitable

CRPS_13. Recognize and explain legal and regulatory requirements, as well as the appropriate role, of the physician assistant

CRPS_14. Demonstrate an understanding of, and ability to apply, ethical principles pertaining to provision or withholding of clinical care, confidentiality of patient information, informed consent, and business practices

CRPS_15. Apply medical information and clinical data systems to provide more effective, efficient patient care

CRPS_16. Practice cost-effective health care and resource allocation that does not compromise quality of care

CRPS_17. Incorporate knowledge of etiologies, risk factors, underlying pathologic process, and epidemiology for medical conditions into diagnosis, management, and patient education

CRPS_18. Order and Interpret laboratory data, imaging studies, and other diagnostic tests for general clinical practice

CRPS_19. Formulate plan for management of general medical and surgical conditions, as they present across the lifespan, including pharmacologic and other treatment modalities

CRPS_20. Describe and apply interventions for prevention of disease and health promotion/maintenance

CRPS_21. Describe, order, and/or perform screening methods to detect conditions in an asymptomatic individual

CRPS_22. Utilize history and physical findings and diagnostic studies to formulate and narrow differential diagnoses

Interpersonal Skills (IS)

IS_1. Apply principles of social–behavioral sciences to provision of patient care, including assessment of the impact of psychosocial–cultural influences on health, disease, care-seeking, care compliance, and barriers to and attitudes toward care

IS_2. Demonstrate techniques to develop therapeutic rapport with patients and their families

IS_3. Counsel and educate patients and their families to empower them to participate in their care and enable shared decision making

IS_4. Describe and demonstrate cultural humility

IS_5. Deliver health information so that patients can understand and make meaning out of the information conveyed to them

IS_6. Provide effective, equitable, understandable, and respectful quality care and services that are responsive to diverse cultural health beliefs and practices, preferred languages, health literacy, and other communication needs

IS_7. Organize and communicate information with patients, families, community members, and health team members in a form that is understandable, avoiding discipline-specific terminology when possible, and checking to ensure understanding

IS_8. Develop professional relationships and effectively communicate with physicians, other health professionals, and health care teams

IS_9. Demonstrate sensitivity, honesty, and compassion in difficult conversations

IS_10. Demonstrate respect for the dignity and privacy of patients while maintaining confidentiality in the delivery of team-based care

Medical Knowledge (MK)

MK_1. For patients of all ages, differentiate between the normal and the abnormal in anatomy, physiology, laboratory findings, and other diagnostic data

MK_2. Discern among, and provide appropriate care for, patients with acute, chronic, and emergent disease states

MK_3. Incorporate knowledge of etiologies, risk factors, underlying pathologic process, and epidemiology for medical conditions into diagnosis, management, and patient education

MK_4. Order and Interpret laboratory data, imaging studies, and other diagnostic tests for general clinical practice

MK_5. Formulate plan for management of general medical and surgical conditions, as they present across the lifespan, including pharmacologic and other treatment modalities

MK_6. Describe and apply interventions for prevention of disease and health promotion/maintenance

MK_7. Describe, order, and/or perform screening methods to detect conditions in an asymptomatic individual

MK_8. Utilize history and physical findings and diagnostic studies to formulate and narrow differential diagnoses

MK_9. Make informed decisions about diagnostic and therapeutic interventions based on patient information and preferences, up-to-date scientific evidence, and clinical judgment

Professional Behaviors (PROF)

PROF_1. Describe and demonstrate cultural humility

PROF_2. Accurately articulate one’s role and responsibilities to patients, families, communities, and other professionals

PROF_3. Develop professional relationships and effectively communicate with physicians, other health professionals, and health care teams

PROF_4. Demonstrate respect for the dignity and privacy of patients while maintaining confidentiality in the delivery of team-based care

PROF_5. Use the full scope of knowledge, skills, and abilities of available health professionals to provide care that is safe, timely, efficient, effective, and equitable

PROF_6. Recognize and explain legal and regulatory requirements, as well as the appropriate role, of the physician assistant

PROF_7. Demonstrate an understanding of, and ability to apply, ethical principles pertaining to provision or withholding of clinical care, confidentiality of patient information, informed consent, and business practices

PROF_8. Apply medical information and clinical data systems to provide more effective, efficient patient care

PROF_9. Apply information technology to manage information, access online medical information, and support their own education

PROF_10. Demonstrate methods for removing barriers to health

Provide health care services aimed at wellness and prevention of health problems

PROF_11. Identify and describe personal and professional limitations in providing care, formulating possible solutions, and recognize learning activities that address one’s gaps in knowledge, skills, or attitudes

PROF_12. Recognize the value of the work of monitoring and reporting for quality improvement

PROF_13. Articulate and apply the legal, ethical and evidence- based, scientific basis of standard of care practice

PROF_14. Recognize one’s physical and emotional limits and establish healthy boundaries to support healthy partnerships

PROF_15. Identify and describe the funding sources and payment systems that provide coverage for patient care

PROF_16. Describe the PA’s responsibility for promoting a safe environment for patient care and recognizing and correcting systems-based factors that negatively impact patient care

PROF_17. Provide health care services aimed at wellness and prevention of health problems