Sources

Works Cited

"About Us." Society for Physician Assistants in Pediatrics. Society for Physician Assistants in Pediatrics, 1 Jan. 2015. Web. 30 Mar. 2015. <http://www.spaponline.org/aws/SPAP/pt/sp/about>.

"Interpersonal and Communication Skills." Competencies for the Physician Assistant Profession. National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants, 1 Jan. 2012. Web. 30 Mar. 2015. <https://www.nccpa.net/Upload/PDFs/Definition of PA Competencies.pdf>.

Swales, John. ''The Concept of Discourse Community." Genre Analysis: English in Academic and Research Settings. Boston: Cambridge UP, 1990.21-32. Print.

"The PA and Other Professionals: Team Practice." Guidelines for Ethical Conduct for the Physician Assistant Profession. American Academy of Physician Assistants, 1 Jan. 2013. Web. 30 Mar. 2015. <https://www.aapa.org/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=815>.

"Who We Are." Society of Dermatology Physician Assistants. Society of Dermatology Physician Assistants, 1 Jan. 2015. Web. 30 Mar. 2015. <http://www.dermpa.org/who-we-are>.

Efficacy of the Physician Assistant Discourse Community

As one can see in this graph, the number of jobs in the physician assistant profession is expected to grow exponentially over the next few years. This increased job rate demonstrates the effectiveness and importance of the physician assistant discourse community. Clearly, physician assistants are fulfilling the goals of their discourse community, which include being good communicators and trustworthy professionals. If they were failing at achieving these goals, the job growth in this profession would be decreasing, not increasing. As a whole, the discourse community of physician assistants is thriving.

Source of picture: http://www.healthcare-schools-online.com/Images/charts/pa-ProjectedGrowth.jpg

Significance of Goals of Physician Assistant Discourse Community

Physician assistants, like other healthcare providers, compose a profession that is for the people. By this I mean that every health practitioner works in medicine in order to care for patients and to work for the betterment of their lives. In return, the "people" expect a heightened sense of clarity, trust, and dependability from their healthcare providers. In other words, people expect effective communication from their healthcare providers. The importance of trust and clarity to patients with their attending medical professionals can be seen in the following graph:

As displayed in this graph, people revere physician assistants (doctors) and expect them to tell the truth. Consequently, if they do not fulfill their goal of effective communication, physician assistants will lose both the respect and business of their patients.

Analysis of Web Texts: Part Four of Four

Web Text: Society of Dermatology Physician Assistants Website

The Society of Dermatology Physician Assistants (SDPA) is very similar to the Society of Physician Assistants in Pediatrics (SPAP) that was discussed in the previous posting. Just like SPAP, SDPA is a subdivision of the larger, broader discourse community of physician assistants, so it too abides by the goals of that discourse community. The goals of the SDPA can be found on the society's website, under the mission statement heading. The goals are as follows:

"THE MISSION OF THE SDPA IS TO:

1. Provide continuing medical education that enhances the skills, knowledge and function of its members in the practice of dermatology.

2. Form a leadership structure that provides services and a forum for communication, builds collegial relationships, and acts as an advocate for its members.

3. Advance the utilization and team concept of Physician Assistants in the practice of dermatology in a supervised relationship with physicians.

4. Develop resources for the evaluation, reimbursement processes and hiring of Physician Assistants in dermatology. "

Link to full web text can be found here: http://www.dermpa.org/who-we-are

Analysis of Web Texts: Part Three of Four

Web Text: Society for Physician Assistants in Pediatrics Website

Just as pediatrics is a speciality within the field of medicine, the Society for Physician Assistants in Pediatrics (SPAP) is a subdivision within the larger discourse community of physician assistants. Even though SPAP is a subdivision, it still complies with the characteristics of the discourse community of physician assistants, especially in regards to goals. The mission statement found on the SPAP website is as follows:

"The mission of SPAP is to improve the health care of children by supporting Physician/PA teams who provide cost effective, quality care to pediatric patients and by promoting a network for communication and education between providers dedicated to the well being of children."

This mission statement explicitly sets forth the goals of the Society for Physician Assistants in Pediatrics, and these goals are in direct accordance with those of the larger discourse community of physician assistants. 

Link to full web text can be found here: http://www.spaponline.org/aws/SPAP/pt/sp/about

Analysis of Web Texts: Part Two of Four

Web Text: Guidelines for Ethical Conduct for the Physician Assistant Profession

This web text discusses the code of ethics that all physician assistants are held accountable to. Therefore, this web text is important to the discourse community of physician assistants because it is essentially the list of every goal that a physician assistant must fulfill. One common theme in these goals is communication. A strong system of communication, much like a team, is necessary among the physician, physician assistant, and patient. The following quote exemplifies the importance of communication and cooperation in the physician assistant discourse community:

"Team Practice: Physician assistants should be committed to working collegially with other members of the health care team to assure integrated, well-managed, and effective care of patients. PAs should strive to maintain a spirit of cooperation with other health care professionals, their organizations, and the general public."

Link to full web text can be found here: https://www.aapa.org/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=815

Analysis of Web Texts: Part One of Four

Web Text: Competencies for the Physician Assistant Profession

This web text clearly expresses the importance of communication to the physician assistant discourse community. Without strong communication skills, the relationships between physicians and PAs and between PAs and patients will suffer, causing adverse consequences for all three of these groups.

"Interpersonal and communication skills encompass the verbal, nonverbal, written, and electronic exchange of information. Physician assistants must demonstrate interpersonal and communication skills that result in effective information exchange with patients, patients’ families, physicians, professional associates, and other individuals within the health care system. Physician assistants are expected to: 

1. create and sustain a therapeutic and ethically sound relationship with patients 
2. use effective communication skills to elicit and provide information 
3. adapt communication style and messages to the context of the interaction 
4. work effectively with physicians and other health care professionals as a member or leader of a health care team or other professional group 
5. demonstrate emotional resilience and stability, adaptability, flexibility, and tolerance of ambiguity and anxiety 
6. accurately and adequately document information regarding care for medical, legal, quality, and financial purposes"

Link to full web text can be found here:https://www.nccpa.net/Upload/PDFs/Definition%20of%20PA%20Competencies.pdf

Goals of the Physician Assistant Discourse Community

      Although the discourse community of physician assistants is broad and varied, it still complies with Swales' definition of a discourse community. Like all true discourse communities, the discourse community of physician assistants has clearly defined goals. One of the main goals of physician assistants is to communicate effectively with patients, patients' families, attending physicians, and other medical practitioners. This goal of communication is expressed in multiple web texts utilized by the physician assistant discourse community.

Web Texts

1. Competencies for the Physician Assistant Profession
1. Published by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants
2. https://www.nccpa.net/Upload/PDFs/Definition%20of%20PA%20Competencies.pdf
2. Guidelines for Ethical Conduct for the Physician Assistant Profession
1. Published by the American Academy of Physician Assistants
2. https://www.aapa.org/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=815
3. Mission Statement of SPAP
1. Published by the Society for Physician Assistants in Pediatrics
2. http://www.spaponline.org/aws/SPAP/pt/sp/about
4. Mission Statement of SDPA
1. Published by the Society of Dermatology Physician Assistants
2. http://www.dermpa.org/who-we-are

What is a Physician Assistant?

      John McGinnity, president of the American Academy of Physician Assistants, describes the roles, duties and responsibilities, and importance of physician assistants in the United States healthcare system in the following video:

http://www.c-span.org/video/?322625-6/washington-journal-john-mcginnity-role-physician-assistants

     Some important terms that McGinnity uses to describe the physician/PA relationship are "collaborate" and "team." These words indicate that the relationship between physician assistants and their attending physicians depends on strong communication skills. Communication is necessary for any team to work efficiently and effectively, and the team of a physician and a physician assistant is no exception. These two groups must work as a team to care for patients. If communication lacks in any area, the welfare of the patient may suffer. Therefore, communication is an essential skill for physician assistants to have.

The Importance of Understanding Discourse Communities

         As the emerging profession of physician assistants becomes more essential to the field of medicine, it is important to recognize this profession as a discourse community unto itself. According to John Swales’ definition of a discourse community, it is important for discourse communities to express their purpose and goals both clearly and effectively. In order to understand the importance of this discourse community objective, one must be able to comprehend the idea of a discourse community as a whole. This can be achieved by examining John Swales’ categories of a true discourse community, which can be found by clicking on the following link: 

https://writing.opencourse.stedwards.edu/sites/default/files/Swales_disccomm.pdf

        The first, and arguably the most important, characteristic of a discourse community is that it must have a “broadly agreed set of common public goals” (Swales). Without goals, a discourse community cannot exist because the discourse community lacks purpose. Without purpose, discourse communities would find it extremely difficult to gain members because people have an inner drive to achieve goals that must be satiated; otherwise, they will lose interest.