Predictors of Physician Assistant Student Mistreatment Reporting

Abstract

Introduction Many physician assistant (PA) students experience mistreatment by preceptors in clinical settings though most do not report it to their institution. Nonreporting limits an institution's ability to address mistreatment and provide student support. Several reasons for nonreporting have been described in national surveys. The purpose of this study was to identify factors predictive of student reporting behavior. Methods This study used a nonexperimental, cross-sectional, predictive research design with quantitative analytic methods. Data were from 2 national surveys administered to PA students and programs in 2019. The sample was PA students who experienced mistreatment performed by preceptors. Logistic regression was used to identify which independent variables were predictors of student mistreatment reporting to their institution. Results Students were twice as likely to report mistreatment involving physical or sexual behavior compared with other types. Older students were more likely to report mistreatment than younger students. Policy factors were not significant predictors of student reporting behavior. Discussion Student likelihood to reporting severe forms of mistreatment indicate they recognize those behaviors as mistreatment and believe they are important enough to report. Greater likelihood of reporting by older students indicates the influence of student demographics and life experience. Policy factors and institution characteristics were not significant predictors of student reporting behavior, which suggest the limits of policy as a facilitator of mistreatment reporting. These findings have implications for educational program policy design, implementation, and evaluation, as well as underscore the need for further research to understand factors influencing students' decision to report mistreatment.