Communicating value to patients-a high-value care communication skills curriculum.

INTRODUCTION: With rising health care costs in the United States, trainees will be increasingly challenged in discussing testing stewardship with patients. OBJECTIVE: We piloted a high-value care (HVC) communication skills curriculum utilizing the Four Habits Model for communication. We hoped residents would 1) learn to apply the Four Habits communication model to HVC discussions with standardized patients (SP) and 2) improve value-based communication skills through training in a high-intensity curriculum with feedback from trained faculty facilitators and peers. METHODS: Thirty interns at the University of Minnesota were randomized to a standard HVC communication SP encounter (n = 15) or a high-intensity HVC communication skills curriculum (n = 15). The high-intensity curriculum included video and audio-recorded SP encounters followed by facilitated small group discussions/feedback. Experiences were reported in a post-intervention survey; communication skills were assessed with the CARE empathy scale. RESULTS: 70% (21/30) of interns (57% high intensity, 43% standard) responded to the survey. In total, 88% of high intensity v. 44% of standard interns agreed/strongly agreed that the curriculum was valuable for their communication skills. High-intensity interns were more likely to report that feedback was valuable with subsequent incorporation of feedback into future patient encounters. High-intensity participants also reported higher levels of interest in future HVC curricula (55% vs 22%). CONCLUSION: There was no difference in overall performance on the CARE empathy scale. Our HVC high-intensity skills curriculum was well received by interns and provided opportunities to practice structured conversations and debrief around testing stewardship.

The Minnesota Model: A Residency Global Health Track Framework.

Residency programs are increasingly responding to the growing demand for global health (GH) education by forming dedicated GH tracks. These tracks incorporate a targeted curriculum, support best practices surrounding GH electives such as predeparture preparation and post-return debriefing, and encourage meaningful engagement with international and domestic partners. The University of Minnesota's pediatric residency has had a formal GH track since 2005, and although they have shared several curricular components in the literature, they have yet to provide a comprehensive summary of their GH track. In this article, the authors provide a thorough description of their evolving GH track model, highlighting outcomes and sharing free resources, with the goal of providing a concise, replicable GH track framework for educators seeking to provide more formal GH education within residency programs.

Interactive value-based curriculum: a pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Current health care costs are unsustainable, with a large percentage of waste attributed to doctor practices. Medical educators are developing curricula to address value-based care (VBC) in education. There is, however, a paucity of curricula and assessments addressing levels higher than 'knows' at the base of Miller's pyramid of assessment. Our objective was to: (1) teach residents the principles of VBC using active learning strategies; and (2) develop and pilot a tool to assess residents' ability to apply principles of VBC at the higher level of 'knows how' on Miller's pyramid. METHODS: Residents in medicine, medicine-paediatrics and medicine-dermatology participated in a 5-week VBC morning report curriculum using active learning techniques. Early sessions targeted knowledge and later sessions emphasised the application of VBC principles. Medical educators are developing curricula to address value-based care in education RESULTS: Thirty residents attended at least one session and completed both pre- and post-intervention tests, using a newly developed case-based assessment tool featuring a 'waste score' balanced with 'standard of care'. Residents, on average, reduced their waste score from pre-intervention to post-intervention [mean 8.8 (SD 6.3) versus mean 4.7 (SD 4.6), p = 0.001]. For those who reduced their waste score, most maintained or improved their standard of care. DISCUSSION: Our results suggest that residents may be able to decrease health care waste, with the majority maintaining or improving their management of care in a case-based assessment after participation in the curriculum. We are working to further incorporate VBC principles into more morning reports, and to develop further interventions and assessments to evaluate our residents at higher levels on Miller's pyramid of assessment.

The Collaborative Role of North American Departments of Pediatrics in Global Child Health.

Appeals for health equity call for departments of pediatrics to improve the health of all children including those from underserved communities in North America and around the world. Consequently, North American (NA) departments of pediatrics have a role in global child health (GCH) which focuses on providing health care to underserved children worldwide. In this review, we describe how NA departments of pediatrics can collaboratively engage in GCH education, clinical practice, research, and advocacy and summarize best practices, challenges, and next steps for engaging in GCH in each of these areas. For GCH in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), best practices start with the establishment of ethical, equitable, and collaborative partnerships with LMIC communities, organizations, and institutions engaged in GCH who are responsible for the vast majority of work done in GCH. Other best practices include adequate preparation of trainees and clinicians for GCH experiences; alignment with local clinical and research priorities; contributions to local professional development and ongoing monitoring and evaluation. Challenges for departments include generating funding for GCH activities; recruitment and retention of GCH-focused faculty members; and challenges meeting best practices, particularly adequate preparation of trainees and clinicians and ensuring mutual benefit and reciprocity in NA-LMIC collaborations. We provide examples of how departments have overcome these challenges and suggest next steps for development of the role of NA departments of pediatrics in GCH. Collaborative implementation of best practices in GCH by LMIC-NA partnerships can contribute to reductions of child mortality and morbidity globally.

Pediatric Resident Academic Projects While on Global Health Electives: Ten Years of Experience at the University of Minnesota.

PURPOSE: Many residency programs require residents to complete an academic project as part of a global health (GH) elective. However, there has been little description of the range of projects residents have pursued during GH electives or the extent to which these projects are consistent with proposed best practices. METHOD: The authors conducted a document review of 67 written summaries or copies of presentations of academic projects (hereafter, summaries) completed by pediatric and medicine-pediatric residents at the University of Minnesota while on GH electives from 2005 to 2015. Two authors independently coded each summary for the type of project completed; when the project idea was generated; explicit mention of a mentor from the home institution, host institution, or both; whether a needs assessment was conducted; and whether there were plans for sustainability. RESULTS: Most of the 67 projects were categorized into one of three project types: quality/process improvement (28 [42%]), education (18 [27%]), or clinical research (14 [21%]). Most summaries explicitly mentioned a mentor (45 [67%]), reported conducting a needs assessment (38 [57%]), and indicated sustainability plans (45 [67%]). Of the 42 summaries that indicated the timing of idea generation, 30 (71%) indicated the idea was developed after arriving at the host site. CONCLUSIONS: Residents undertook a wide range of academic projects during GH electives, most commonly quality/process improvement and education projects. The projects were largely aligned with best practices, with most summaries indicating the resident worked with a mentor, conducted a needs assessment, and made plans for sustainability.

Describing Failure in a Clinical Clerkship: Implications for Identification, Assessment and Remediation for Struggling Learners.

BACKGROUND: In addition to training future members of the profession, medical schools perform the critical role of identifying students who are failing to meet minimum standards in core competencies. OBJECTIVE: To better understand reasons for failure in an internal medicine clerkship. DESIGN: A qualitative content analysis of letters describing reasons for students' failure. PARTICIPANTS: Forty-three students (31 men) who failed the internal medicine clerkship at the University of Minnesota Medical School, 2002-2013. APPROACH: We conducted a qualitative content analysis of the 43 letters describing reasons for students' failure. We coded critical deficiencies and mapped them to the Physician Competency Reference Set (PCRS) competency domains and classified them into two categories: conduct (unprofessional behaviors) and knowledge and skills specific to the practice of medicine. We then calculated the frequency of each critical deficiency. We statistically tested for relationships between gender and critical deficiencies in each of the competency domains. KEY RESULTS: We coded 50 critical deficiencies with all codes mapping to a PCRS competency domain. The most frequently cited deficiencies were "insufficient knowledge" (79 % of students) and "inadequate patient presentation skills" (74 %). Students exhibited critical deficiencies in all eight competency domains, with the highest concentrations in Knowledge for Practice (98 %) and Interpersonal and Communication Skills (91 %). All students demonstrated deficiencies in multiple competencies, with 98 % having deficiencies in three or more. All 43 students demonstrated deficits in the knowledge and skills category, and 81 % had concurrent conduct issues. There were no statistically significant relationships between gender and critical deficiencies in any competency domain. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights both the diversity and commonality of reasons that students fail a clinical clerkship. Knowing the range of areas where students struggle, as well as the most likely areas of difficulty, may aid faculty in identifying students who are failing and in developing remediation strategies.

Making Global Health Rotations a Two-Way Street: A Model for Hosting International Residents.

As US residency programs are increasingly offering global health electives for their trainees, there is a growing call for these opportunities to include bidirectional exchanges-where residents from both the US and international partner institutions rotate at the other's site. Curricular, logistical, and funding challenges of hosting residents from an international site may be barriers to developing these programs. In this report, the authors describe an 8-year experience of a US institution hosting residents from a resource-limited international partner and provide a framework for others institutions to develop bidirectional exchanges. They also report the visiting international residents' perceptions of the impact of the exchange on their clinical practice, teaching, career paths, and their home institution.

Pediatric Global Health Education: Past, Present, and Future.

Recent outbreaks of diseases erroneously thought by many to be contained by borders or eliminated by vaccines have highlighted the need for proper training of all residents in global health. Beyond infectious diseases, all pediatricians should know how to care for other conditions in global child health, ranging from malnutrition to the nuances of care for immigrant and refugee children. The call for broader education for pediatric residents in global health has been increasing over the last decade, with all major pediatric organizations underscoring its importance in statement and action. Herein, the current status of global child health education in pediatric residency training in the United States is summarized, highlighting where it has been, where it is now, and where it should go next.

The development and implementation of a competency-based curriculum for training in global health research.

The Fogarty International Center (FIC) Global Health Fellows Program provides trainees with the opportunity to develop research skills through a mentored research experience, increase their content expertise, and better understand trends in global health research, funding organizations, and pathways to generate support. The Northern Pacific Global Health Fellows Research and Training Consortium, which hosts one of the FIC Global Health Programs, sought to enhance research training by developing, implementing, and evaluating a competency-based curriculum that uses a modular, asynchronous, web-based format. The curriculum has 8 core competencies, 36 learning objectives, and 58 assignments. Nineteen trainees completed their 11-month fellowship, engaged in the curriculum, and provided pre- and post-fellowship self-assessments. Self-assessed scores significantly improved for all competencies. Trainees identified the curriculum as one of the strengths of the program. This competency-based curriculum represents a first step toward creating a framework of global health research competencies on which further efforts could be based.

Simulation Use for Global Away Rotations (SUGAR): preparing residents for emotional challenges abroad--a multicenter study.

BACKGROUND: Preparation for residents participating in global health (GH) experiences is critical. Active preparatory curricula allowing residents to experience and debrief emotional challenges they may encounter abroad are generally lacking. We sought to evaluate a novel simulation curriculum designed to prepare residents for emotions they may experience in response to challenges abroad. METHODS: Pediatric GH educators from 7 institutions developed case vignettes incorporating common challenges residents experience abroad. Residents participating in a GH training track or planning to participate in a GH rotation from the 7 institutions were eligible to participate in the simulation curriculum. Participants and trained facilitators completed postsimulation evaluations that were analyzed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis of written comments to assess the utility of the curriculum, emotions evoked, and changes residents anticipated making to their GH rotation preparation. RESULTS: Fifty-one residents and 16 facilitators completed 160 and 52 evaluations, respectively. Overall, respondents found the simulations useful (mean [SD] resident score 4.49 [0.82] and facilitator score 4.85 [0.36] on a 5-point scale [1 = completely useless, 5 = very useful]). Residents reported strong emotions in 153 (98%) of 156 comments. After the sessions, 131 (96%) of 137 comments reflected anticipated changes to GH rotation preparation plans. CONCLUSIONS: Active preparation for GH rotations using simulated cases appears to be a useful tool that can be implemented across a variety of sites with minimal facilitator training or simulation experience. The curriculum successfully elicited powerful emotions in residents and provided an opportunity to debrief these experiences before encountering them abroad.

Essential factors for the development of a residency global health track.

OBJECTIVE: There is increasing awareness of the importance of global health (GH) residency education but little guidance on what departmental, financial, and human resource support is required to develop a GH track. The authors aimed to identify essential factors and major obstacles to the development of a GH track. METHODS: A survey assessing curriculum, support, and factors considered essential to or obstacles to successful development of a GH track was sent to 24 GH education directors within pediatric residencies. RESULTS: In all, 19 programs (79%) completed the survey, and 6 factors were identified as essential for developing and sustaining a GH track by ≥ 95% of all GH education directors: supportive residency program director, resident commitment, supportive department chair, protected resident elective time, dedicated budget, and GH faculty with protected time. CONCLUSIONS: Residency programs aiming to start a GH track should start by assessing the availability and sustainability of these identified essential factors within their program.

Evidence within a portfolio-based assessment program: what do medical students select to document their performance?

BACKGROUND: Decisions about performance in programs of assessment that provide an array of assessment evidence require judgments about the quality of different pieces of assessment data to determine which combination of data points best represent a trainee's overall performance. AIM: In this article, we examine the nature of evidence selected by first-year medical students to include in a portfolio used to make promotion decisions. METHODS: We reviewed portfolios to examine the number, type, and source of assessments selected by students (n = 32) to document their performance in seven competencies. The quality of assessment data selected for each competency was rated by promotion committee members (n = 14). RESULTS: Findings indicate that students cited multiple types and sources of available assessments. The promotion committee rated evidence quality highest for competencies where the program provided sufficient evidence for students to cite a broad range of assessments. When assessments were not provided by the program, students cited self-generated evidence. CONCLUSION: We found that when student-constructed portfolios are part of an overall assessment system, students generally select evidence in proportion to the number and types of assessments available.

Development of a competency-based curriculum in global child health.

Resident interest in global health is increasing; however, a paucity of literature on competency-based curricula in global child health is available. A collaborative group including members from the University of Minnesota (UMN) Department of Pediatrics, the UMN College of Education and Human Development, and the Makerere University Department of Paediatrics and Child Health in Kampala, Uganda, developed a competency-based global child health curriculum for pediatrics residents at UMN. The group defined competencies for each of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education competency domains and developed the curriculum via six steps: (1) defining competencies specific to global child health, (2) authoring goals and objectives for each competency, (3) assigning appropriate postgraduate training levels to each competency, (4) determining intended resident groups for each competency, (5) aligning the program with the existing residency education program, and (6) developing methods to evaluate acquisition of each competency. Faculty implemented the competency-based curriculum in 2009, and the curriculum is now freely available online for adaptation and use by other residency programs. Faculty are currently introducing evaluation methods, which will allow them, for the first time, to assess a trainee's competency in global child health by the end of his or her residency. The authors believe that the development of this curriculum represents an important step forward in global health education for pediatric residents and that other residency programs, including those of nonpediatric specialties, can use the process as a model to develop global health curricula.