School Health: Pediatric Primary Care Curriculum.

Lauren R Anderson,Mandy Allison,Jillian Mayer Cotter,Christina Baker,Pamela Brunner Nii,Daniel Nicklas,Cheryl Yang,Colette Christen

doi:10.15766/mep_2374-8265.10764

Abstract

Pediatric residents encounter issues related to school health (SH) throughout their training, particularly in their continuity clinics, and often serve as liaisons between a patient's medical home and school environment. However, there is currently a paucity of formal education on SH for pediatric residents to prepare them for this role. We created a 3-hour interactive learning conference that was delivered to four groups of six to eight pediatric residents during their intern year by a multidisciplinary team. Our curriculum focused on understanding the differences between individualized educational plans (IEPs), individualized health plans (IHPs), and 504 plans; the IEP process; and communication with schools. Residents were given pre- and postdidactic surveys, completed reflective writings, and participated in feedback sessions. Twenty-seven pediatric interns completed the curriculum; 85% and 74% had improved knowledge of IEP/504/IHP and SH personnel, respectively. Eighty-five percent reported feeling comfortable with family conversations about accommodations postcurriculum versus 0% precurriculum. The majority of interns found the curriculum to be valuable to their clinic performance. Our curriculum offers a unique multidisciplinary approach to teaching and can be easily integrated into other residency programs, even with limited protected didactic time.

Highlights

Pediatric residents encounter issues related to school health (SH) throughout their training, in their continuity clinics, and often serve as liaisons between a patient’s medical home and school environment
According to a statement made by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), “education in school health should be an important part of graduate medical education
Our curriculum ensures that pediatric residents receive standardized training that equips them with a toolkit to address the school concerns that inevitably surface in their primary care clinics

Summary

Introduction

Pediatric residents encounter issues related to school health (SH) throughout their training, in their continuity clinics, and often serve as liaisons between a patient’s medical home and school environment. Our curriculum focused on understanding the differences between individualized educational plans (IEPs), individualized health plans (IHPs), and 504 plans; the IEP process; and communication with schools. Results: Twenty-seven pediatric interns completed the curriculum; 85% and 74% had improved knowledge of IEP/504/IHP and SH personnel, respectively. The majority of interns found the curriculum to be valuable to their clinic performance. School health (SH) refers to the physical, cognitive, and emotional needs of a child that impact classroom performance and the child’s overall development.[1] Given that children spend the majority of their day in school, partnership between pediatric providers and schools is necessary to meet the needs of a growing population of children with chronic disease. According to a statement made by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), “education in school health should be an important part of graduate medical education.

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Conclusion