Pediatric Residency Academic Rotation Improves Self-Rated Proficiency in Quality Improvement Skills

Authors

Maria Heubeck
Rebecca Craig
Taylor Ford
Lanier Lopez
Grace McCauley
Elizabeth Yakes Jimenez

Document Type

Poster

Publication Date

4-15-2021

Abstract

Introduction: As of July 2020, all second-year pediatric residents participate in a one-month academic rotation. The rotation focuses on quality improvement (QI), research, education and leadership skills and experience. This project aims to assess the impact of the rotation on residents’ self-reported QI proficiency, self-rated motivation to pursue scholarly activities, and competency based on ACGME milestones.

Methods: Pediatric residents participating in the academic rotation from July 2020 to March 2021 were invited via e-mail to complete pre- and post-rotation surveys in REDCap. We conducted a Wilcoxon signed-rank test in Stata/SE 15 to compare pre- and post-survey responses for residents who completed both surveys (n=7). Self-reported proficiency in QI skills were measured on a scale from 1-not proficient to 5-very proficient.

Results: The majority of residents identified as female (57%) and white (57%), and 43% identified as Hispanic or Latino/a. Residents reported an increase in their perceived QI proficiency across all 12 measures, with a statistically significant pre-to-post increase in median score for nine measures. The biggest improvements were observed for: “identify outcome and process measures appropriate for a quality problem” (Pre: 2; Post: 4; p=0.015) and “demonstrate how to use several cycles of iterative change to improve processes and outcomes” (Pre: 2; Post: 4; p=0.017). Additionally, there were small increases for the ACGME milestone assessment questions and the residents’ reported motivation; however, these improvements were not statistically significant.

Conclusions: The academic rotation offers a unique opportunity for residents to focus on their scholarly skills. This preliminary, short-term evaluation from the first year indicates that residents perceive an improvement in their QI skills during the rotation. This evaluation will continue as more residents engage with the academic rotation, with plans for additional longitudinal surveys to assess the longer-term impact of the rotation on the QI skill set and anticipated scholarly output.

Recommended Citation

Heubeck, Maria; Rebecca Craig; Taylor Ford; Lanier Lopez; Grace McCauley; and Elizabeth Yakes Jimenez. "Pediatric Residency Academic Rotation Improves Self-Rated Proficiency in Quality Improvement Skills." (2021). https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/hsc_2021_pediatric_research/15