Pilot Evaluation of the Family Bridge Program: A Communication- and Culture-Focused Inpatient Patient Navigation Program.

OBJECTIVE: Children with low income and minority race and ethnicity have worse hospital outcomes due partly to systemic and interpersonal racism causing communication and system barriers. We tested the feasibility and acceptability of a novel inpatient communication-focused navigation program. METHODS: Multilingual design workshops with parents, providers, and staff created the Family Bridge Program. Delivered by a trained navigator, it included 1) hospital orientation; 2) social needs screening and response; 3) communication preference assessment; 4) communication coaching; 5) emotional support; and 6) a post-discharge phone call. We enrolled families of hospitalized children with public or no insurance, minority race or ethnicity, and preferred language of English, Spanish, or Somali in a single-arm trial. We surveyed parents at enrollment and 2 to 4 weeks post-discharge, and providers 2 to 3 days post-discharge. Survey measures were analyzed with paired t tests. RESULTS: Of 60 families enrolled, 57 (95%) completed the follow-up survey. Most parents were born outside the United States (60%) with a high school degree or less (60%). Also, 63% preferred English, 33% Spanish, and 3% Somali. The program was feasible: families received an average of 5.3 of 6 components; all received >2. Most caregivers (92%) and providers (81% [30/37]) were "very satisfied." Parent-reported system navigation improved from enrollment to follow-up (+8.2 [95% confidence interval 2.9, 13.6], P = .003; scale 0-100). Spanish-speaking parents reported decreased skills-related barriers (-18.4 [95% confidence interval -1.8, -34.9], P = .03; scale 0-100). CONCLUSIONS: The Family Bridge Program was feasible, acceptable, and may have potential for overcoming barriers for hospitalized children at risk for disparities.

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.

Longitudinal Assessment of Resident Performance Using Entrustable Professional Activities.

Importance: Entrustable professional activities (EPAs) are an emerging workplace-based, patient-oriented assessment approach with limited empirical evidence. Objective: To measure the development of pediatric trainees' clinical skills over time using EPA-based assessment data. Design, Setting, and Participants: Prospective cohort study of categorical pediatric residents over 3 academic years (2015-2016, 2016-2017, and 2017-2018) assessed on 17 American Board of Pediatrics EPAs. Residents in training at 23 pediatric residency programs in the Association of Pediatric Program Directors Longitudinal Educational Assessment Research Network were included. Assessment was conducted by clinical competency committee members, who made summative assessment decisions regarding levels of supervision required for each resident and each EPA. Data were collected from May 2016 to November 2018 and analyzed from November to December 2018. Interventions: Longitudinal, prospective assessment using EPAs. Main Outcomes and Measures: Trajectories of supervision levels by EPA during residency training and how often graduating residents were deemed ready for unsupervised practice in each EPA. Results: Across the 5 data collection cycles, 1987 residents from all 3 postgraduate years in 23 residency programs were assigned 25 503 supervision level reports for the 17 general pediatrics EPAs. The 4 EPAs that required the most supervision across training were EPA 14 (quality improvement) on the 5-level scale (estimated mean level at graduation, 3.7; 95% CI, 3.6-3.7) and EPAs 8 (transition to adult care; mean, 7.0; 95% CI, 7.0-7.1), 9 (behavioral and mental health; mean, 6.6; 95% CI, 6.5-6.6), and 10 (resuscitate and stabilize; mean, 6.9; 95% CI, 6.8-7.0) on the expanded 5-level scale. At the time of graduation (36 months), the percentage of trainees who were rated at a supervision level corresponding to "unsupervised practice" varied by EPA from 53% to 98%. If performance standards were set to align with 90% of trainees achieving the level of unsupervised practice, this standard would be met for only 8 of the 17 EPAs (although 89% met this standard for EPA 17, performing the common procedures of the general pediatrician). Conclusions and Relevance: This study presents initial evidence for empirically derived practice readiness and sets the stage for identifying curricular gaps that contribute to discrepancy between observed practice readiness and standards needed to produce physicians able to meet the health needs of the patient populations they serve. Future work should compare these findings with postgraduation outcomes data as a means of seeking validity evidence.

Current Practices and Perspectives on Peer Observation and Feedback: A National Survey.

OBJECTIVE: Peer observation and feedback (POF) is the direct observation of an activity performed by a colleague followed by feedback with the goal of improved performance and professional development. Although well described in the education literature, the use of POF as a tool for development beyond teaching skills has not been explored. We aimed to characterize the practice of POF among pediatric hospitalists to explore the perceived benefits and barriers and to identify preferences regarding POF. METHODS: We developed a 14-item cross-sectional survey regarding divisional expectations, personal practice, perceived benefits and barriers, and preferences related to POF. We refined the survey based on expert feedback, cognitive interviews, and pilot testing, distributing the final survey to pediatric hospitalists at 12 institutions across the United States. RESULTS: Of 357 eligible participants, 198 (56%) responded, with 115 (58%) practicing in a freestanding children's hospital. Although 61% had participated in POF, less than one half (42%) reported divisional POF expectation. The most common perceived benefits of POF were identifying areas for improvement (94%) and learning about colleagues' teaching and clinical styles (94%). The greatest perceived barriers were time (51%) and discomfort with receiving feedback from peers (38%), although participation within a POF program reduced perceived barriers. Most (76%) desired formal POF programs focused on improving teaching skills (85%), clinical management (83%), and family-centered rounds (82%). CONCLUSIONS: Although the majority of faculty desired POF, developing a supportive environment and feasible program is challenging. This study provides considerations for improving and designing POF programs.

Choose Your Own Adventure: Leading Effective Case-Based Learning Sessions Using Evidence-Based Strategies.

INTRODUCTION: Learning how to lead engaging teaching sessions is critical for faculty development and for optimizing teaching opportunities. We developed an interactive workshop to provide an evidence-based framework for designing and facilitating case-based discussions. METHODS: This workshop was designed as a 150-minute large-group session, though a 90-minute session is possible. Six to 10 students per facilitated group is optimal. Faculty training requires approximately 30 minutes prior to the session. Associated materials include guidelines to prepare faculty facilitators and participants for the large-group discussion and small-group practice sessions with role-plays. Also included are two prompting cases, a template for designing a large- or small-group session, a form to guide constructive feedback in the role-plays, and an evaluation form. RESULTS: This workshop was accepted for presentation at two national conferences in 2016: the Pediatric Academic Societies Meeting (PAS) and the Pediatric Hospital Medicine Conference (PHM). Average responses to "Workshop was a valuable use of my time" were 4.93 out of 5 (PAS) and 4.45 out of 5 (PHM). Average responses to "I learned information I can apply at my home institution" were 4.93 out of 5 (PAS) and 4.80 out of 5 (PHM). DISCUSSION: This large- and small-group teaching module has been incorporated into multiple pediatric residency programs and rated as highly effective by learners. Learning how to develop engaging, objective-focused group teaching sessions is an essential skill that residents, chief residents, fellows, and faculty must master to make the most of teaching opportunities.