Educational Needs

The 2020 National Commission of Certification of Physician Assistants Specialty Report estimates that 1% of the 106,606 certified physician assistants practice in urology. As of 2019, approximately 51% of the 10,201 practicing urologists were over the age of 54 years old. Of those urologists between the ages of 55-65 years old, 25% indicated they were within 5 years of retirement. The increasing age of the United States population is creating and will continue to create a disproportionate number of patients requiring urologic services with a decreasing number of urologists. Physician assistants are one answer to this workforce shortage. To fill this gap, physician assistants require continuing medical education regarding urologic conditions and how to diagnose, manage, treat those conditions, as well as effectively counsel patients.

Several topics will focus on urologic malignancies, including diagnosis, treatment, complications, and counselling. Physician assistants are often the primary provider who evaluates, diagnoses, and counsel patients regarding malignancies. Physician assistants commonly manage long-term surveillance and survivorship.

Additional topics will focus on benign conditions which may adversely affect urologic function and quality of life. Physician assistants are often the primary provider who evaluates, diagnoses, and counsel patients regarding these acute or chronic conditions. Urologic physician assistants often practice autonomously and require current standard of care practice updates.

Physician assistants are increasingly performing routine and complex urologic procedures. Therefore, physician assistants require exposure and training for these procedures.

Physician assistants are a critical part of the medical team. Several topics will provide physician assistants with the tools to transition into those teams smoothly and efficiently and then help them to expand their roles and responsibilities in relationship to their training and experience.

Educational Objectives

Overall

At the conclusion of the UAPA 12^th Annual Meeting, participants will be able to:

1. Review the management and work up of benign prostatic hypertrophy.
2. Review the surgical therapies used in the treatment of nephrolithiasis and factors involved in selecting the most appropriate treatment.
3. Discuss the risks and potential complications of surgical treatments for nephrolithiasis.
4. Review risk factors, symptoms, and guidelines for diagnosis of symptomatic male hypogonadism.
5. Discuss common treatment strategies and testosterone replacement delivery methods.
6. Outline potential complications and adverse effects for testosterone replacement therapy.
7. Review what prostatectomy survivorship entails.
8. Identify areas of support and treatment options for patients post-prostatectomy.
9. Review Post Operative Urological Emergencies.
10. Identify common urological post op concerns and determine how to triage and treat those issues.
11. Recognize urologic complications that require emergent treatment/care.
12. Explain why CAQ’s are unnecessary for PA’s.
13. Illustrate the lack of benefit to PA’s from the process of obtaining a CAQ.
14. Demonstrate the danger CAQ’s pose to the entire model of training and practice for PA’s.
15. Discuss the history of the Certificate of Additional Qualifications (CAQ).
16. Demonstrate understanding of the justification for the CAQ credential.
17. Describe what is generally required for earning the CAQ credential.
18. Recognize the potential beneficial outcomes of the CAQ credential.
19. Identify potential areas of improvement in the developing a CAQ credential.
20. Review common causes/treatments for urinary retention in the hospitalized patient.
21. Discuss management of gross hematuria in the hospital setting.
22. Identify infected stones that need emergent management.
23. Identify musculoskeletal and neurological causes of pelvic pain.
24. Describe how these conditions are diagnosed and treated.
25. Discuss strategies and tips for successfully onboarding new urology physician assistants.
26. Discuss barriers that may prevent or hinder optimal new hire onboarding.
27. Review AUA Guidelines including those for bladder cancer, prostate cancer, kidney cancer, BPH, microhematuria, incontinence, recurrent UTI, neurogenic bladder, interstitial cystitis, and testosterone deficiency.
28. Evaluate and counsel patients found to have small renal masses.
29. Discuss different management strategies for small renal masses.
30. Review how to risk stratify patients and arrange appropriate follow up depending on management strategy.
31. Review the pathophysiology and treatment of stress urinary incontinence.
32. Review the indications, strengths, and weaknesses of the various genitourinary imaging modalities and studies, including ultrasound, CT, MRI, PET, fluoroscopy, and angiography.
33. Review the roles of advance imaging in GU cancers, with specific attention to PSMA-PET in prostate cancer.
34. Review principles for risk stratification and treatments for localized prostate cancer.
35. Improve fluency when discussing treatment options with patients who have localized prostate cancer.
36. Discuss the role and criteria for patient selection regarding active surveillance in prostate cancer management.
37. Review the types of medications used to treat advanced prostate cancer, including hormonal therapies, chemotherapy, targeted therapies, and immunotherapy.
38. Identify the potential toxicities associated with each type of prostate cancer treatment.
39. Explain the importance of individualized treatment plans that take into account the unique needs and preferences of each patient.