Pediatric urgent care education: a survey-based needs assessment

Xian Zhao,Ioannis Koutroulis,Joanna Cohen,Deena Berkowitz

doi:10.1186/s12913-019-4241-8

Xian Zhao, Ioannis Koutroulis

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-019-4241-8

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Abstract

BackgroundThere is an increasing number of pediatric urgent care centers that are largely staffed by pediatric residency graduates. It is unclear if pediatric residency adequately prepares a physician to fully and successfully provide care in an urgent care setting. The goal of this study is to conduct an assessment of urgent care directors’ perceptions of recent pediatric residency graduates’ preparedness to successfully provide pediatric urgent care after graduation.MethodsThis is a 2018 cross-sectional survey of all pediatric emergency medicine division chiefs in the United States and all pediatric urgent care directors who are members of the Society for Pediatric Urgent Care. An electronic survey was distributed consisting of eight multiple choice questions regarding perceived preparedness and knowledge gaps of recent pediatric residency graduates for independent practice in urgent care. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze results and qualitative data were analyzed via an inductive thematic approach.ResultsForty-two percent (65/154) of surveys were completed. No respondents believed that a recent pediatric residency graduate would be adequately prepared to independently practice in a pediatric urgent care and 81% of respondents recommended some additional training. Most respondents described this training as important (46%) or very important (35%). Most respondents recommended between 6 months and 1 year as the appropriate amount of time to achieve competency.ConclusionsDespite the growing number pediatric residency graduates staffing pediatric urgent care centers, the majority of surveyed pediatric emergency medicine division chiefs and pediatric urgent care directors do not think that pediatric residency adequately prepares graduates to successfully provide urgent care to pediatric patients. We recommend further exploration of gaps in knowledge of recent pediatric residency graduates as a next step towards developing systems for further training for pediatric residency graduates to gain competency in urgent care management.

Highlights

There is an increasing number of pediatric urgent care centers that are largely staffed by pediatric residency graduates
There is significant variability in the level of acuity managed at different pediatric urgent care center (UCC) and little is known about the scope, quality and outcomes of care received in pediatric UCCs [3, 4]
In order to reach the maximum number of urgent care directors, we distributed the survey via email to members of the association of Pediatric Emergency Medicine North American Chiefs (PEMNAC), and to members of the Society for Pediatric Urgent Care (SPUC), an organization formed in 2014 for pediatric urgent care medical directors to develop best practices for ensuring clinical excellence and overall quality of care

Summary

Introduction

There is an increasing number of pediatric urgent care centers that are largely staffed by pediatric residency graduates. It is unclear if pediatric residency adequately prepares a physician to fully and successfully provide care in an urgent care setting. The goal of this study is to conduct an assessment of urgent care directors’ perceptions of recent pediatric residency graduates’ preparedness to successfully provide pediatric urgent care after graduation. Many pediatric UCCs are staffed by general pediatricians who were trained in a pediatric residency program [2]. Our primary objective was to qualitatively assess the perceived readiness of pediatric residency graduates to function as independent practitioners in the pediatric urgent care setting.

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