Faculty research in the Department of Physician Assistant Studies denotes national attention

Written by A. Vaughn Vreeland ’15

Melissa Murfin, assistant professor of Physician Assistant Studies, will be published in the upcoming issue of the Journal of Physician Assistant Education. Her research entitled “Know your apps: an evidence-based approach to evaluation of mobile clinical applications” delves into medical informatics and the use of antibiotic apps as decision-support tools. The JPAE is the Physician Assistant Education Association’s official peer-reviewed journal published on a quarterly basis.

Several DPAS faculty members will also present their research at the 2013 Physician Assistant Education Meeting in Memphis, Tenn., this October. Their presentations include:

• “Bring Me to Life: The Role of Fresh Tissue Dissection and Anatomic Body Painting in Anatomy Education,” by Cindy Bennett, assistant professor of Physician Assistant Studies.

• “Preceptor Recruitment and Retention Through the Lenses of a New and Established Program,” by Tracey Tonsor and Diane Duffy in collaboration with ECU program colleagues. Tonsor is an assistant professor of Physician Assistant Studies and Duffy is the director of Clinical Education in the program.

• “Risky Business: Understanding Risk and the Application of Number-Needed-To-Treat,” by Patti Ragan, chair and program director of Physician Assistant Studies, and Associate Professor Brenda Quincy.

• Ragan and Quincy will also present “Introduction to Being a JPAE Reviewer” at the conference. Presentation contributors include the JPAE editor-in-chief, the editorial board and feature editors.