Preparing for a Career in Pediatric Hospital Medicine: A Needs Assessment and Recommendations for Individualized Curricula.

OBJECTIVES: The individualized curriculum within residency programs allows residents to tailor their elective time toward future career goals and interests. Our objective was to identify experiences and activities that would foster resident interest and enhance preparation for a career in pediatric hospital medicine (PHM). METHODS: Electronic surveys were distributed to pediatric hospitalists, PHM fellowship directors, and graduating PHM fellows. These stakeholders were asked to identify key experiences for residents to explore before entering fellowship or practice. Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis were performed on survey responses. RESULTS: Forty-six percent of PHM fellows (16 of 35), 42% of pediatric hospitalists (149 of 356), and 58% of fellowship program directors (35 of 60) completed the survey. All 3 groups identified complex care as the most important clinical experience to gain in residency. Other highly valued clinical experiences included pain management, surgical comanagement, and palliative care. Lumbar puncture, electrocardiograph interpretation, and airway management were identified as essential procedural skills. Nonclinical experiences that were deemed important included quality improvement, development of teaching skills, and research methodology. All groups agreed that these recommendations should be supplemented with effective mentorship. CONCLUSIONS: Identification of key clinical experiences, nonclinical activities, and mentorship for residents interested in PHM may assist with tailoring the individualized curriculum to personal career goals. Incorporating these suggested experiences can improve preparedness of residents entering PHM.

The Impact of a Parent Brochure on Perceptions of Their Child's Hospitalization.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The primary purpose of family-centered rounds (FCR) is to improve communication and family satisfaction with care. However, hospital satisfaction surveys continue to identify parental concerns about communication with the medical team. The goal of this study was to evaluate the impact of a new "Division of Hospital Medicine" brochure on parent (ie, caregiver) identification of physician names, understanding of FCR, and overall satisfaction with the hospitalist team. METHODS A prospective cohort study with historical controls compared parent responses on anonymous, self-administered predischarge surveys, before and after brochure implementation. A trifold brochure to explain physician roles, identify names of the attending and intern, and describe the purpose of FCR was provided to parents on admission. It included a photo card of hospitalist attending physicians and explanations of the role of a hospitalist and FCR. The brochure was available in English and Spanish. RESULTS The overall response rate was 83% (183 of 220). The intervention group of parents identified physician names more accurately and felt more comfortable in FCR, but there was no significant difference in satisfaction. There were no difference between the control and intervention groups in relation to language, inpatient transfer, or length of stay, but the preintervention group did include more patients never before hospitalized. CONCLUSIONS An informational brochure is a simple tool to improve physician identification and caregiver comfort with FCR. However, further research should explore other factors contributing to family satisfaction during hospitalization and the use of electronic media to provide the same information to families.