Championing Civility in the Clinical Learning Environment: Evaluation of a Novel Training Program.

PROBLEM: Incivility in the health care workplace is increasing and negatively impacts everyone in the environment, including health care team members and the patients and families they serve. This study examined the efficacy and impact of Civility Champions (CCs), a novel training program for a multidisciplinary cohort of faculty and graduate medical education (GME) trainees based in principles of trauma-informed care, nonviolent communication, and restorative practices. APPROACH: Participants were 39 faculty and GME trainees representing 6 departments in a major academic medical center. The concurrent, mixed-methods study employed the Kirkpatrick New World Model as a framework for the creation of the evaluation tools as well as to analyze and report the results of the study. Quantitative and qualitative data analysis examined participants' reactions, perceived learning, workplace use of the skills following training, and initial indicators of whether the program is on track to meet its goals. OUTCOMES: Participants found CCs training to be valuable (84.6% agree or strongly agree that training was relevant and would recommend it to others). Post-training, CCs felt an increased sense of confidence and commitment using the skills and knowledge learned as indicated by a positive average change score (P < .05) on all measures. At the 6-month survey, 70% of CCs had employed the skills. Results on the implementation of the CCs program found that key success factors include improving program visibility, providing opportunities for skill refreshment, and fostering a supportive community. NEXT STEPS: This study expanded a novel training program to multidisciplinary departments and provided early evaluation of the efficacy of the training in the health care workplace. CCs training showed significant measurable benefit using both quantitative and qualitative measures. Future iterations will include training interdisciplinary cohorts and will attempt to assess the program's impact on institutional culture.

Burnout and Association With Resident Performance as Assessed by Pediatric Milestones: An Exploratory Study.

INTRODUCTION: Prior work demonstrating that burnout is associated with decreased performance in medical trainees has relied on self-report and/or single-site studies. We explored the relationship between burnout status and Milestones-based scores in pediatric residents nationally. METHODS: In April to June 2016, we confidentially surveyed residents using the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Separately, programs submitted resident Milestones scores in June 2016. We examined the relationship between burnout and performance as assessed by Milestones scores for each domain of competence. We performed multivariate analysis to determine which components of burnout (depersonalization [DP], emotional exhaustion, and lack of personal accomplishment [PA]) were most impactful. RESULTS: About 1494 of 2368 (63%) residents at 32 programs completed the Maslach Burnout Inventory and had Milestones scores submitted. Residents who scored positive for burnout scored lower in all Milestones domains. Subgroup analysis demonstrated that this association was only significant (P < .05) in the post-graduate year 1 (PGY1) categorical pediatric cohort. In the PGY1 residents (n = 442), those positive for burnout had lower Milestones scores in patient care (PC) (2.78 vs 2.98), systems-based practice (2.69 vs 2.87), practice-based learning and improvement (2.77 vs 2.93), professionalism (3.09 vs 3.24), and interpersonal and communication skills (2.95 vs 3.12), but not medical knowledge. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that, in PGY1 residents, lower PC score was associated with lower PA and higher DP. CONCLUSIONS: Burnout is associated with decreased Milestones performance for pediatric PGY1 residents. DP and low PA were associated with lower PC scores in PGY1 residents. Future research should address whether strategies to mitigate burnout improve PGY1 performance.

Burnout in Pediatric Residents: Three Years of National Survey Data.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to describe the national epidemiology of burnout in pediatric residents. METHODS: We conducted surveys of residents at 34 programs in 2016, 43 programs in 2017, and 49 programs in 2018. Survey items included the Maslach Burnout Inventory, demographics, program characteristics, personal qualities, experiences, and satisfaction with support, work-life balance, and learning environment. Analyses included cross-sectional comparisons and cross-sectional and longitudinal regression. RESULTS: More than 60% of eligible residents participated; burnout rates were >50% in all years and not consistently associated with any demographic or residency characteristics. Cross-sectional associations were significant between burnout and stress, sleepiness, quality of life, mindfulness, self-compassion, empathy, confidence in providing compassionate care (CCC), being on a high-acuity rotation, recent major medical error, recent time off, satisfaction with support and career choice, and attitudes about residency. In cross-sectional logistic regression analyses, 4 factors were associated with an increased risk of burnout: stress, sleepiness, dissatisfaction with work-life balance, and recent medical error; 4 factors were associated with lower risk: empathy, self-compassion, quality of life, and CCC. Longitudinally, after controlling for 2017 burnout and 2018 risk factors (eg, recent error, sleepiness, rotation, and time off), 2017 quality of life was associated with 2018 burnout; 2017 self-compassion was associated with lower 2018 stress; and 2017 mindfulness, empathy, and satisfaction with learning environment and career choice were associated with 2018 CCC. CONCLUSIONS: A majority of residents met burnout criteria. Several identified factors (eg, stress, sleepiness, medical errors, empathy, CCC, and self-compassion) suggest targets for interventions to reduce burnout in future studies.

Cultivating Research Skills During Clinical Training to Promote Pediatric-Scientist Development.

Physician-scientists represent a critical component of the biomedical and health research workforce. However, the proportion of physicians who spend a significant amount of effort on scientific research has declined over the past 40 years. This trend has been particularly noticeable in pediatrics despite recent scientific work revealing that early life influences, exposures, and health status play a significant role in lifelong health and disease. To address this problem, the Duke University Department of Pediatrics developed the Duke Pediatric Research Scholars Program for Physician-Scientist Development (DPRS). The DPRS is focused on research training during pediatric residency and fellowship. We aim to provide sufficient research exposure and support to help scholars develop a research niche and scholarly products as well as identify the career pathways that will enable them to achieve their research goals. Herein, we describe the DPRS's organizational structure, core components, recruitment strategies, and initial results, and we discuss implementation challenges and solutions. Additionally, we detail the program's integration with the department's residency and fellowship training programs (with particular reference to the challenges of integrating research into small- to medium-sized residency programs) and describe the development and integration of related initiatives across Duke University School of Medicine. The program served as the basis for 2 successful National Institutes of Health Stimulating Access to Research in Residency (R38) applications, and we hope it will serve as a model to integrate formalized research training for residents and fellows who wish to pursue research careers in academic medicine.

Do Mindfulness and Self-Compassion Predict Burnout in Pediatric Residents?

PURPOSE: Burnout symptoms are common among health professionals. Gaps remain in understanding both the stability of burnout and compassion over time and relationships among burnout, self-compassion, stress, and mindfulness in pediatric residents. METHOD: The authors conducted a prospective cohort study of residents at 31 U.S. residency programs affiliated with the Pediatric Resident Burnout-Resilience Study Consortium. Residents completed online cross-sectional surveys in spring 2016 and 2017. The authors assessed demographic characteristics and standardized measures of mindfulness, self-compassion, stress, burnout, and confidence in providing compassionate care. RESULTS: Of 1,108 eligible residents, 872 (79%) completed both surveys. Of these, 72% were women. The prevalence of burnout was 58% and the level of mindfulness was 2.8 in both years; levels of stress (16.4 and 16.2) and self-compassion (37.2 and 37.6) were also nearly identical in both years. After controlling for baseline burnout levels in linear mixed-model regression analyses, mindfulness in 2016 was protective for levels of stress and confidence in providing compassionate care in 2017. Self-compassion in 2016 was protective for burnout, stress, and confidence in providing compassionate care in 2017; a one-standard-deviation increase in self-compassion score was associated with a decrease in the probability of burnout from 58% to 48%. CONCLUSIONS: Burnout and stress were prevalent and stable over at least 12 months among pediatric residents. Mindfulness and self-compassion were longitudinally associated with lower stress and greater confidence in providing compassionate care. Future studies are needed to evaluate the effectiveness of training that promotes mindfulness and self-compassion in pediatric residents.

Burnout in Pediatric Residents: Comparing Brief Screening Questions to the Maslach Burnout Inventory.

BACKGROUND: Measuring burnout symptoms is important, but the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) has 22 items. This project compared 3 single-item measures with the MBI and other factors related to burnout. METHODS: Data were analyzed from the 2016 and 2017 Pediatric Resident Burnout-Resilience Study Consortium surveys, which included standard measures of perceived stress, mindfulness, resilience, and self-compassion; the MBI; and the 1- and 2-item screening questions. RESULTS: In 2016 and 2017, data were collected from 1785/2723 (65%) and 2148/3273 (66%) eligible pediatric residents, respectively. Burnout rates on the MBI were 56% in 2016 and 54% in 2017. The Physician Work Life Study item generated estimates of burnout prevalence of 43% to 49% and, compared with the MBI for 2016 and 2017, had sensitivities of 69% to 72%, specificities of 79% to 82%, positive likelihood ratios of 3.4 to 3.8, and negative likelihood ratios of 0.35 to 0.38. The combination of an emotional exhaustion item and a depersonalization item generated burnout estimates of 53% in both years and, compared with the full MBI, had sensitivities of 85% to 87%, specificities of 84% to 85%, positive likelihood ratios of 5.7 to 6.4, and negative likelihood ratios of 0.18 for both years. Both items were significantly correlated with their parent subscales. The single items were significantly correlated with stress, mindfulness, resilience, and self-compassion. CONCLUSIONS: The 1- and 2-item screens generated prevalence estimates similar to the MBI and were correlated with variables associated with burnout. The 1- and 2-item screens may be useful for pediatric residency training programs tracking burnout symptoms and response to interventions.

Risk factors associated with overweight and obesity in college students.

UNLABELLED: College obesity is increasing, but to the authors' knowledge, no researchers to date have evaluated risk factors in this population. OBJECTIVE: The authors assessed whether abnormal eating perceptions and behaviors were associated with overweight in college students. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS: A sample of undergraduates (N = 4,201) completed an online survey containing demographic questions and the Eating Attitudes Test-26 (EAT-26) questionnaire. The authors stratified participants into normal-weight and overweight/obese groups and evaluated physical activity, EAT-26 score, purging behaviors, and answers to selected overweight screening questions on the basis of body mass index. A modified EAT-26 score of > or = 11 was associated with overweight (p = .016). RESULTS: Compared with normal-weight peers, overweight participants displayed an increased fear of bingeing, preoccupation with food, desire to be thinner, and engagement in dieting behavior. Mean body mass index also increased with age and physical inactivity (p < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Because physical inactivity, disordered eating perceptions, and disordered behaviors are associated with increased rates of overweight and obesity, identification of these risk factors in obese youths may increase understanding of weight loss barriers and facilitate the treatment of adolescent obesity.

Variability of Burnout and Stress Measures in Pediatric Residents: An Exploratory Single-Center Study From the Pediatric Resident Burnout-Resilience Study Consortium.

Residency is a high-risk period for physician burnout. We aimed to determine the short-term stability of factors associated with burnout, application of these data to previous conceptual models, and the relationship of these factors over 3 months. Physician wellness questionnaire results were analyzed at 2 time points 3 months apart. Associations among variables within and across time points were analyzed. Logistic regression was used to predict burnout and compassionate care. A total of 74% of residents completed surveys. Over 3 months, burnout ( P = .005) and empathy ( P = .04) worsened. The most significant cross-sectional relationship was between stress and emotional exhaustion (time 1 r = 0.61, time 2 r = 0.68). Resilience was predictive of increased compassionate care and decreased burnout ( P < .05). Mindfulness was predictive of decreased burnout ( P < .05). Mitigating stress and fostering mindfulness and resilience longitudinally may be key areas of focus for improved wellness in pediatric residents. Larger studies are needed to better develop targeted wellness interventions.

Multicenter development, implementation, and patient safety impacts of a simulation-based module to teach handovers to pediatric residents.

OBJECTIVE: Teaching and evaluation of handovers are important requirements of graduate medical education (GME), but well-defined and effective methods have not been clearly established. Case-based computer simulations provide potential methods to teach, evaluate, and practice handovers. METHODS: Case-based computer simulation modules were developed. In these modules, trainees care for a virtual patient in a time-lapsed session, followed by real-time synthesis and handover of the clinical information to a partner who uses this information to continue caring for the same patient in a simulated night scenario, with an observer tallying included handover components. The process culminates with evaluator feedback and structured handover education. Surveys were used before and after module implementation to allow the interns to rate the quality of handover provided and record rapid responses and transfers to the ICU. RESULTS: Fifty-two pediatric and medicine/pediatric residents from 2 institutions participated in the modules. "Anticipatory guidance" elements of the handover were the most frequently excluded (missing at least 1 component in 77% of module handovers). There were no significant differences in the proportion of nights with rapid response calls (7.24% vs 12.79%, P=.052) or transfers to the ICU (7.76% vs 11.27%, P=.21) before and after module implementation. CONCLUSIONS: Case-based, computer-simulation modules are an easily implemented and generalizable mechanism for handover education and assessment. Although significant improvements in patient safety outcomes were not seen as a result of the educational module alone, novel techniques of this nature may supplement handover bundles that have been demonstrated to improve patient safety.

Milestone-Based Assessments Are Superior to Likert-Type Assessments in Illustrating Trainee Progression.

BACKGROUND: The Pediatrics Milestone Project uses behavioral anchors, narrative descriptions of observable behaviors, to describe learner progression through the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education competencies. Starting June 2014, pediatrics programs were required to submit milestone reports for their trainees semiannually. Likert-type scale assessment tools were not designed to inform milestone reporting, creating a challenge for Clinical Competency Committees. OBJECTIVE: To determine if milestone-based assessments better stratify trainees by training level compared to Likert-type assessments. METHODS: We compared assessment results for 3 subcompetencies after changing from a 5-point Likert scale to milestone-based behavioral anchors in July 2013. Program leadership evaluated the new system by (1) comparing PGY-1 mean scores on Likert-type versus milestone-based assessments; and (2) comparing mean scores on the Likert-type versus milestone-based assessments across PGY levels. RESULTS: Mean scores for PGY-1 residents were significantly higher on the prior year's Likert-type assessments than milestone-based assessments for all 3 subcompetencies (P < .01). Stratification by PGY level was not observed with Likert-type assessments (eg, interpersonal and communication skills 1 [ICS1] mean score for PGY-1, 3.99 versus PGY-3, 3.98; P  =  .98). In contrast, milestone-based assessments demonstrated stratification by PGY level (eg, the ICS1 mean score was 3.06 for PGY-1, 3.83 for PGY-2, and 3.99 for PGY-3; P < .01 for PGY-1 versus PGY-3). Significantly different means by trainee level were noted across 21 subcompetencies on milestone-based assessments (P < .01 for PGY-1 versus PGY-3). CONCLUSIONS: Initial results indicate milestone-based assessments stratify trainee performance by level better than Likert-type assessments. Average PGY-level scores from milestone-based assessments may ultimately provide guidance for determining whether trainees are progressing at the expected pace.

Drug compliance in adolescents: assessing and managing modifiable risk factors.

Many studies have found that adolescence represents a problem in compliance with prescribed drug regimens. Multiple factors contribute to this problem, including the developmental evolution taking place in the adolescent physique and psyche. Health belief and patient demographic factors, inherent disease and regimen factors, as well as the dynamics between patient and provider may also contribute to problems with compliance to treatment. Simple interventions such as working with the teen to construct a tolerable treatment regimen, assessing anticipated compliance, discussing potential adverse effects, and establishing cues from the adolescent's daily routine can positively impact treatment compliance. Healthcare providers should recognize the fact that psychosocial changes in an adolescent's life can impact upon compliance with medications and enlist the help of their patients in constructing treatment regimens taking into account the individual's lifestyle that may impact upon compliance. In particular, the healthcare provider should ask the adolescents what they anticipate their success with compliance to treatment might be, adverse effects they are concerned about and what cues could best aid the treatment plan. The healthcare provider should then synthesize this information to create the best treatment plan for that patient.

Using an innovative curriculum evaluation tool to inform program improvement: the clinical skills fair.

BACKGROUND: Program evaluation is important for assessing the effectiveness of the residency curriculum. Limited resources are available, however, and curriculum evaluation processes must be sustainable and well integrated into program improvement efforts. INTERVENTION: We describe the pediatric Clinical Skills Fair, an innovative method for evaluating the effectiveness of residency curriculum through assessment of trainees in 2 domains: medical knowledge/patient care and procedure. Each year from 2008 to 2011, interns completed the Clinical Skills Fair as rising interns in postgraduate year (PGY)-1 (R1s) and again at the end of the year, as rising residents in PGY-2 (R2s). Trainees completed the Clinical Skills Fair at the beginning and end of the intern year for each cohort to assess how well the curriculum prepared them to meet the intern goals and objectives. RESULTS: Participants were 48 R1s and 47 R2s. In the medical knowledge/patient care domain, intern scores improved from 48% to 65% correct (P < .001). Significant improvement was demonstrated in the following subdomains: jaundice (41% to 65% correct; P < .001), fever (67% to 94% correct; P < .001), and asthma (43% to 62% correct; P  =  .002). No significant change was noted within the arrhythmia subdomain. There was significant improvement in the procedure domain for all interns (χ(2)  =  32.82, P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: The Clinical Skills Fair is a readily implemented and sustainable method for our residency program curriculum assessment. Its feasibility may allow other programs to assess their curriculum and track the impact of programmatic changes; it may be particularly useful for program evaluation committees.