title: Physician assistant students' perceived breastfeeding knowledge and counseling skills before and after web-based curriculum and lactation shadowing experience.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study assessed physician assistant (PA) students' self-perceived knowledge/counseling skills regarding breastfeeding before and after a newly implemented web-based curriculum and lactation consultant shadowing experiences.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included 37 students (100% response rate) at the principal investigator's institution, Baylor College of Medicine. A 19-item, Likert-scale electronic questionnaire was provided to students before and after participation in a new breastfeeding curriculum experience. Wilcoxon signed-rank and Mann-Whitney U tests were used for analysis. The curriculum consisted of seven self-paced, web-based modules concerning fundamental topics of breastfeeding, as well as a 3-hour lactation consultant shadowing experience.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant improvement in self-perceived knowledge/counseling skills was noted, with an overall mean precurriculum score of 40.19, versus 76.59 for the postcurriculum score (statistically significant at z = -5.30, P < .05). Gender and age group score comparisons revealed no significant differences.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Participation in the new curriculum and shadowing experience significantly increased PA students' levels of confidence concerning their breastfeeding knowledge/counseling skills. Because PAs significantly participate in one-on-one patient care, they should be educated on the topic of breastfeeding to better promote the well-being of both infants and their mothers.
authors.affiliation: Baylor College of Medicine, Physician Assistant Program, Houston, Texas, USA. stellameusch@gmail.com
authors.forename: Stella M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Meusch
authors.forename: Elizabeth P
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Elliott
authors.forename: Carl E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Fasser
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001942:Breast Feeding; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003194:Computer-Assisted Instruction; D003479:Curriculum; D037001:Directive Counseling; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D007774:Lactation; D008297:Male; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D010823:Physician Assistants / Q000193:education* / Q000523:psychology; D012649:Self Concept; D055815:Young Adult