28. PEDIALITE: A REFRESHING WAY TO KEEP UP WITH PEDIATRIC RESEARCH

Abstract

Background A major challenge in resident education is the efficient use of limited time. As self-directed learners, residents need to find pragmatic ways to keep up to date on current literature. In February 2018, a survey of 80 pediatric residents revealed that most were unsatisfied with the amount of literature they were reading. While all residents received daily emails about current research, most rarely or never read them because the emails were too frequent, too long, and visually unappealing. Design/Methods PediaLITE was created in March 2018 with the goal of providing monthly updates on current pediatric research that entertain and stimulate residents to read further. Each email contains concise summaries (three paragraphs or fewer) of two recent studies accompanied by links to the original articles, and a review of a general pediatrics topic. They are emailed via Mailchimp to pediatric residents at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh and individuals who have subscribed online. A second survey was administered nine months later to assess residents’ perception and utilization of PediaLITE. The survey responses were compared using a Mann Whitney U test. Results Monthly readership ranges from 40-70% as tracked through Mailchimp. Fifty-seven residents completed the follow-up survey and 68% had read at least half of the emails. All of those who read PediaLITE found it interesting and relevant; 95% enjoyed the emails and 92% felt more up-to-date. Fifty-four percent believed that they were reading more primary literature because of PediaLITE. Of those who did not read the emails, most cited a lack of time or not finding it in their inboxes as barriers. As a whole, residents have read more articles (Figure 1). Furthermore they are more satisfied with their reading habits after receiving nine months of PediaLITE (mean Likert value 2.05 versus 2.64, p = 0.003; Figure 2). Conclusion PediaLITE is an effective, entertaining educational tool that helps residents stay more up-to-date with pediatric literature.