Table 3.

A champion who helps effectively define and develop the role facilitates integration of physician associates

Facilitator	Data
PAs have a champion who is willing and able to provide support and advocacy	Consultants felt that it was their duty to model acceptance and advocacy for their PAs to their junior doctors. Physician G – ‘I hope that we modelled that acceptance by the fact that the consultants all treated [PA] with respect, as an important member of the team. We all thought it was a great appointment and she was going to be great and the idea was great. I'm hoping that we modelled that to the junior medical staff because they saw us treating [PA] as a respected, important member of the team, that they would do the same.’
	Med PA 96 – ‘I think, now that we've all worked with more of the consultants for quite a period of time, they're able to introduce us better. I think the fact that they are happy and used to working with us has a bit of a knock-on effect in front of the others.’
Potential for PA to provide continuity on the service makes champions willing to invest in them	Consultants find that the constant churn of junior doctors is a poor fit for wards that care for patients with long-term chronic disease and that PAs are a better fit because they do not rotate away. Physician H – ‘We are developing inpatient specialist diabetes [care]. Typically, the junior doctors rotate within the blink of an eye. Whereas diabetes is a long-term condition and [we get] benefits from [medical practitioners] who spend a bit longer. They get a more in-depth understanding. So we were quite keen to have the physician associate. I imagine that if she didn't like our particular specialty, she does have some choice of moving. So, by definition, if they stay, it's because they have chosen to.’

med = medical; PA = physician associate.