Needs assessment of advanced practice provider education in allergy & immunology

Advanced practice providers (APPs) are increasingly utilized throughout the health care system. At present there is no nationally sanctioned curriculum for APPs providing Allergy & Immunology (A&I) care. A nationwide gap analysis and targeted needs assessment were conducted to examine the current level of education/training of APPs in A&I. At present, training in A&I in NP/PA schools is quite limited. The formal education and clinical training APPs receive at practice sites varies significantly with most APPs feeling only somewhat comfortable providing A&I care upon completion of their training period. Results of a nationwide gap analysis and targeted needs assessment identify the need for providing education specific for A&I to APPs practicing in this field.

Methods
To examine the current state of education/training for APPs within A&I on a national level, gap analysis, and targeted needs assessment were performed with the recruitment of APPs on a national level through the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) Allied Health Listserve.  This was done as an initial step in the development of a Core Curriculum for APPs within A&I through the AAAAI Educator Development award. The gap analysis consisted of a series of 20 qualitative interviews with APPs and 5 physicians (who had recently trained APPs in A&I) using open-ended questions to better understand the current level of education/clinical training. The data has not been processed.