Trends in the Use and Discussion of Race in Pediatrics Articles Over 75 Years.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Race-based medicine, which falsely assumes that race is biological, is common in the published medical literature. We analyzed trends in the use of race in Pediatrics articles over a 75-year period. METHODS: We analyzed a random sample of 50 original research articles published each decade in Pediatrics from 1948 to 2022. RESULTS: Of 375 articles, 39% (n = 147) included race. Among articles, 85% (n = 116) used race only to describe study subjects, 7% (n = 9) described race as a social construct, and 11% (n = 15) described race as a biological construct. Only 7% (n = 10) of studies provided a reason for including race. Statements reflective of racial bias or discrimination were identified in 22% (n = 30) of the articles that mentioned race. Although statements concerning for explicit racial bias were uncommon, with none identified in the most recent decade, statements suggestive of implicit racial bias still occurred (22%, 5 of 23). Race was presented as a dichotomy, such as "white/nonwhite," in 9% of studies (n = 12). Regarding currently nonrecommended terminology, the term "minorities" was used in 13% of studies (n = 18); 25% of studies used the term "others" (n = 34), and among these, 91% (n = 31 of 34) did not provide any definition, an occurrence that increased over time at a rate of 0.9%/year. CONCLUSIONS: Although there has been improvement over the past 75 years in the reporting of race in published studies in Pediatrics, significant opportunities for further improvement remain.

Celebrating 75 Years of Innovation in Pediatrics.

The inaugural issue of Pediatrics was published in 1948. Although the journal has remained steadfast in its mission of helping pediatricians and other child health care clinicians improve outcomes for children and families, the approach it uses to achieve its mission continues to evolve. This special article provides a broad historical overview of changes to the journal, focusing on the last 25 years, including the move to online publication and use of social media, the adoption of new article types, the commitment to transparency, the expansion of the editorial board, and the commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice. These changes ensure that Pediatrics remains timely and relevant for everyone invested in improving child health outcomes.

Increasing Pediatric Morning Report Educational Value Through Quality Improvement.

BACKGROUND: Morning report (MR) is a common case-based conference in graduate medical education. Recent studies highlight participant dissatisfaction with the educational value of MR, but data are lacking on means for improvement. We aimed to increase MR quality and participant satisfaction at our academic pediatric residency program. METHODS: Improvement science was used to develop and implement a new standardized pediatric MR process (intervention), with 5 core educational elements and structured resident-faculty mentorship. Educational elements were measured via feedback forms and tracked using a run chart. Residents and faculty were surveyed regarding MR quality and satisfaction at baseline and 6 months postintervention; responses were analyzed using mixed effects logistic regression. RESULTS: The median of educational elements increased from 3 to 5 (5 maximum) during the 6-month study period and 12-months poststudy. Baseline and postintervention survey response rates were 90% (18 of 20) for residents and 66% (51 of 77) for faculty. Residents reporting high quality MR changed from 50% to 72% (P = .20), and faculty from 29% to 85% (P <.001). Satisfaction with MR content increased for both residents (50%-89%, P = .03) and faculty (25%-67%, P <.001). Resident satisfaction with faculty mentorship before MR increased from 28% to 78% (P = .01); satisfaction with faculty feedback after MR increased from 11% to 56% (P = .02). CONCLUSIONS: Improvement science can be used to develop a new pediatric graduate medical education process. Requiring core educational elements and providing structured mentorship were associated with improvements in pediatric MR quality and participant satisfaction.