Pediatric Workforce Research Articles

Where are the paediatricians? An international survey to understand the global paediatric workforce

ObjectiveOur primary objective was to examine the global paediatric workforce and to better understand geographic differences in the number of paediatricians globally. Secondary objectives were to describe paediatric workforce expectations,...

Comment on "Pediatric dermatology workforce in the United States".

Comment on "Pediatric dermatology workforce in the United States".

2018 Academic Emergency Medicine Consensus Conference: A Workforce Development Research Agenda for Pediatric Care in the Emergency Department.

Each year, more than 30 million children visit U.S. emergency departments (EDs). Although the number of pediatric emergency medicine specialists continues to rise, the vast majority of children are cared for in general EDs outside of children's hospitals. The diverse workforce of care providers for children must possess the knowledge, experience, skills, and systemic support necessary to deliver excellent pediatric emergency care. There is a crucial need to understand the factors that drive the professional development and support systems of this diverse workforce. Through the iterative process culminating with the 2018 Academic Emergency Medicine consensus conference, we have identified five key research themes and prioritized a specific research agenda. These themes represent critical gaps in our understanding of the development and maintenance of the pediatric emergency care workforce and allow for a prioritization of future research efforts. Only by more fully understanding the gaps in workforce needs, and the necessary steps to address these gaps, can outcomes be optimized for children in need of emergency care.

How to calculate the risk of shortage and surplus of pediatric workforce?

How to calculate the risk of shortage and surplus of pediatric workforce?

How to calculate the risk of shortage and surplus of pediatric workforce?

How to calculate the risk of shortage and surplus of pediatric workforce?

Pediatric dermatology workforce in the United States.

Studies have suggested there is a shortage of pediatric dermatologists in the United States, but the workforce has not been well defined. The Society for Pediatric Dermatology (SPD) Workforce Committee sought to characterize the US pediatric dermatology workforce with a nine-question survey, sent to all 484 US SPD members in December 2016. The response rate was 30%. Most pediatric dermatologists were practicing in major metropolitan markets, seeing an average of 80 patients a week with an average 6-week wait time. These findings indicate that geographic maldistribution and long wait times for new patient appointments remain substantial hurdles for adequate access to subspecialty pediatric dermatology care.

The multidisciplinary pediatric psycho-oncology workforce: A national report on supervision for staff and training opportunities.

This paper presents data on licensure/certification status, supervision of multidisciplinary pediatric psychosocial staff, and training opportunities in pediatric cancer programs in the United States, data that are critical to provide care aligned with the Standards of Psychosocial Care in Pediatric Cancer (Psychosocial Standards). An online survey of psychosocial care consistent with the Psychosocial Standards was completed from a national sample of pediatric cancer programs (144/200). Licensure/certification status, availability and format of supervision for multidisciplinary staff (social workers, psychologists, psychiatrists, child life specialists/recreational therapists), and types and number of psychosocial trainees were reported. Nearly all pediatric psychosocial providers were licensed/certified. Peer consultation was the most frequently endorsed form of staff supervision although a sizeable group of centers reported no systematic ongoing supervision. Trainees in social work and child life were most common although the size of trainee cohorts is generally small. Psychosocial trainees are more prevalent in sites with pediatric hematology/oncology medical fellowship programs and in larger programs. A properly trained and supported psychosocial workforce is essential to providing evidence-based care consistent with the Psychosocial Standards. Psychosocial providers are appropriately licensed. However, supervision opportunities are variable and may be inadequate for the intensity of the work. It is important to address the limited opportunities for trainees in pediatric cancer programs, which may influence the pipeline for ongoing and future work in this area.

Staffing and workforce issues in the pediatric intensive care unit.

The health care industry is in the midst of incredible change, and unfortunately, change is not easy. The intensive care unit (ICU) plays a critical role in the overall delivery of care to patients in the hospital. Care in the ICU is expensive. One of the best ways of improving the value of care delivered in the ICU is to focus greater attention on the needs of the critical care workforce. Herein, we highlight three major areas of concern-the changing model of care delivery outside of the traditional four walls of the ICU, the need for greater diversity in the pediatric critical care workforce, and the widespread problem of professional burnout and its impact on patient care.

Defining Global Pediatric Surgical and Anesthesia Workforce Densities for Optimal Child Health Outcomes

Leeming, Michael; Holmer, Hampus MD; Marks, Isobel H. MA, MB, BS; Kaseje, Neema C. MD Author Information

Pediatric neurosurgical workforce, access to care, equipment and training needs worldwide.

The presence and capability of existing pediatric neurosurgical care worldwide is unknown. The objective of this study was to solicit the expertise of specialists to quantify the geographic representation of pediatric neurosurgeons, access to specialist care, and equipment and training needs globally. A mixed-question survey was sent to surgeon members of several international neurosurgical and general pediatric surgical societies via a web-based platform. Respondents answered questions on 5 categories: surgeon demographics and training, hospital and practice details, surgical workforce and access to neurosurgical care, training and equipment needs, and desire for international collaboration. Responses were anonymized and analyzed using Stata software. A total of 459 surgeons from 76 countries responded. Pediatric neurosurgeons in high-income and upper-middle-income countries underwent formal pediatric training at a greater rate than surgeons in low- and lower-middle-income countries (89.5% vs 54.4%). There are an estimated 2297 pediatric neurosurgeons in practice globally, with 85.6% operating in high-income and upper-middle-income countries. In low- and lower-middle-income countries, roughly 330 pediatric neurosurgeons care for a total child population of 1.2 billion. In low-income countries in Africa, the density of pediatric neurosurgeons is roughly 1 per 30 million children. A higher proportion of patients in low- and lower-middle-income countries must travel > 2 hours to seek emergency neurosurgical care, relative to high-income countries (75.6% vs 33.6%, p < 0.001). Vast basic and essential training and equipment needs exist, particularly low- and lower-middle-income countries within Africa, South America, the Eastern Mediterranean, and South-East Asia. Eighty-nine percent of respondents demonstrated an interest in international collaboration for the purposes of pediatric neurosurgical capacity building. Wide disparity in the access to pediatric neurosurgical care exists globally. In low- and lower-middle-income countries, wherein there exists the greatest burden of pediatric neurosurgical disease, there is a grossly insufficient presence of capable providers and equipped facilities. Neurosurgeons across income groups and geographic regions share a desire for collaboration and partnership.

The Current State of the Pediatric Emergency Medicine Workforce and Innovations to Improve Pediatric Care

Many hospitals and emergency departments lack resources to optimally care for ill and injured children, perpetuating risks of receiving fragmented and “uneven” care. In this article, we describe the present state of our pediatric emergency medicine workforce as well as the impact that different innovations could have on the future of pediatric emergency care. Many innovative initiatives, including physician and advanced practice provider education and training, pediatric readiness recognition programs, telemedicine and in-situ simulation outreach, and community paramedicine are being utilized to help bridge access gaps and augment the reach of the pediatric emergency medicine workforce. Advocacy for reimbursement for novel care delivery models, such as community paramedicine and telemedicine, and funding for outreach education is essential. Also, better understanding of our current training models for and utilization of advanced practice practitioners in pediatric emergency medicine is crucial to understanding the diversity of workforce growth and opportunity.

Children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes in Australasia: An online survey of model of care, workforce and outcomes.

To survey the model of care and workforce that manages children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes (T1D) in Australasia along with glycaemic outcomes. Tertiary and regional paediatric clinics in Australia and New Zealand (NZ) caring for children and adolescents with diabetes were invited to complete an online survey assessing health-care professional (HCP) workforce numbers and available clinical data for the 2016 calendar year. A total of 38 sites responded - 25 Australian (10 tertiary, 15 regional), 13 NZ (4 tertiary, 8 regional) - representing 9715 children with T1D. HCP resourcing varied across sites, with overall HCP/100 patient ratios of: doctors: 0.36 (0.08-1.07), nurses: 0.72 (0-1.8), dieticians: 0.19 (0-0.49) and psychologist/social workers: 0.13 (0-0.36). Overall, 39% of patients used insulin pump therapy (CSII) (29.5% NZ, 40.8% Australia). Databases were being used locally by 26 sites. Thirty-two sites reported the mean clinic HbA1c, mean HbA1c 66 mmol/mol (8.2%) (NZ = 69 mmol/mol (8.5%), Australia = 66 mmol/mol (8.2%)), with 29% of patients attaining the recommended HbA1c target of <58 mmol/mol (7.5%) (NZ = 28%, Australia = 29%). This is the largest Australasian paediatric T1D workforce survey to date. HCP to patient ratios remain well below international recommendations and have not changed over the last 5-7 years. Glycaemic outcomes in this population were below recommended levels in the majority of patients. There is an urgent need to reform models of care and workforce and to institute systematic benchmarking in both countries in order to prevent acute and chronic complications of T1D.

Performance of International Medical Graduates in Pediatric Residency: A Study of Peer and Faculty Perceptions

BackgroundInternational medical graduates (IMGs) constitute approximately 25% of the US pediatric workforce. Their recruitment into US residency training raises concerns regarding their competence, although this has not been formally studied. Cincinnati Children's Hospital has systematically recruited IMGs over the past 16 years. This study evaluates perceptions of IMG performance by faculty and US graduate (USG) peers. MethodsWe surveyed IMG, USG, and faculty groups, including current and former trainees, assessing perceived IMG performance compared with that of USGs in terms of clinical knowledge/skills, resource utilization, communication, public health knowledge and efficiency, and overall impact on the program. ResultsOverall perceived performance was within 1 standard deviation of expected USG performance. IMGs outperformed USGs in clinical knowledge/skills and resource utilization but underperformed in communication, public health knowledge, and efficiency. Significant differences were noted in communication with patients and public health knowledge; IMGs ranked their performance significantly lower than USGs/faculty ranked their performance. Overall impact was perceived positively, including an increased interest in global health in among USGs. ConclusionsCarefully recruited IMGs are perceived to perform nearly equal to their USG peers, and their presence is perceived as positive to a major pediatric residency program. Specific domains for educational interventions are identified for programs wishing to expand IMG recruitment.

Timing and Stability of Fellowship Choices during Pediatric Residency: A Longitudinal Survey

To determine, among pediatric residents, the timing and stability of decisions to pursue fellowship training and select a specific subspecialty, which can be used to inform strategies to better match the distribution of pediatric subspecialist with the needs of children. A longitudinal survey administered with the General Pediatrics In-training Exam to pediatric residents in the US and Canada, 2010-2014. The study included residents who responded in each of their first 3 years of residency and indicated plans to enter fellowship or matriculated, 2013-2016, into 1 of the 14 medical subspecialty fellowships for which the American Board of Pediatrics grants a certificate. Descriptive and χ2 statistics were calculated. Of the 7580 residents who completed 3 annual surveys (response rate 99%) 4963 (65.5%) indicated plans to pursue fellowship training and 2843 (37.5%) matriculated into fellowship. Residents who did not enter fellowship were in smaller residency programs and programs with less interest in fellowship among interns. Most residents who matriculated into fellowship (68.4%) planned to do so as interns and maintained that plan throughout residency. In contrast, 22.7% had selected a specific subspecialty as interns. Fellowship decisions were made later in residency by female residents, American Medical Graduates, and residents in programs where <50% of interns planned to pursue fellowship training. Timing and stability of decisions varied across subspecialty fields. Understanding the timing of pediatric medical subspecialty fellowship decisions could be used to shape medical education and, ultimately, the pediatric workforce.

Workforce Trends and Analysis of Selected Pediatric Subspecialties in the United States

ObjectiveTo update pediatric subspecialty workforce data to support evidence-based legislation and public policy decisions by replicating the American Academy of Pediatrics' 1998 Future of Pediatric Education (FOPE II) workforce survey. MethodsA descriptive and comparative analysis of survey responses from 9950 US pediatric subspecialists who completed an electronic survey. ResultsPediatric subspecialists are working fewer hours and spending less of their time in direct patient care than they did in 1998 but the mean hours worked differs significantly according to subspecialty. Most subspecialists continue to be board-certified, white, non-Hispanic men, although the percentage who are women and from minority groups has increased. The proportion of subspecialists practicing in an academic medical center has increased since 1998. Thirty percent of pediatric subspecialists reported appointment wait times of >2 weeks and pediatric subspecialists in developmental pediatrics, endocrinology, and neurology identified much longer wait times than other subspecialists. ConclusionThe demographic and practice characteristics of pediatric subspecialists have changed since the FOPE II survey and access to subspecialty care in a family's community remains a challenge. However, pediatric subspecialties are not monolithic and solutions to workforce shortages will need to take into account these differences to improve access to subspecialty care.

Does specialist physician supply affect pediatric asthma health outcomes?

BackgroundPediatrician and pediatric subspecialist density varies substantially among the various Canadian provinces, as well as among various states in the US. It is unknown whether this variability impacts health outcomes. To study this knowledge gap, we evaluated pediatric asthma admission rates within the 2 Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Saskatchewan, which have similarly sized pediatric populations and substantially different physician densities.MethodsThis was a retrospective cross-sectional cohort study. Health regions defined by the provincial governments, have, in turn, been classified into “peer groups” by Statistics Canada, on the basis of common socio-economic characteristics and socio-demographic determinants of health. To study the relationship between the distribution of the pediatric workforce and health outcomes in Canadian children, asthma admission rates within comparable peer group regions in both provinces were examined by combining multiple national and provincial health databases. We generated physician density maps for general practitioners, and general pediatricians practicing in Manitoba and Saskatchewan in 2011.ResultsAt the provincial level, Manitoba had 48.6 pediatricians/100,000 child population, compared to 23.5/100,000 in Saskatchewan. There were 3.1 pediatric asthma specialists/100,000 child population in Manitoba and 1.4/100,000 in Saskatchewan. Among peer-group A, the differences were even more striking. A significantly higher number of patients were admitted in Saskatchewan (590.3/100,000 children) compared to Manitoba (309.3/100,000, p < 0.0001).ConclusionsSaskatchewan, which has a lower pediatrician and pediatric asthma specialist supply, had a higher asthma admission rate than Manitoba. Our data suggest that there is an inverse relationship between asthma admissions and pediatrician and asthma specialist supply.

Future career intentions of higher specialist trainees in general Paediatrics

A survey of paediatric higher specialist trainees was carried out in 2002 assessing career intentions and perception of training. Fourteen years later, with increased numbers of trainees and a national model of care and a tertiary paediatric hospital on the horizon, we re-evaluated the career intentions of the current trainee workforce. To assess the career intentions of the current paediatric higher specialist trainees. A 28-item questionnaire was developed based on a previously validated instrument and distributed online using the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland trainee database. We distributed the questionnaire to 118 eligible trainees and received responses from 92 (78%). Seventy-nine (86%) respondents desire a consultant post in Ireland. Seventy-five (82%) indicated that their preferred consultant post location was in a tertiary paediatric centre. Sixty-two trainees (67%) intend to become subspecialists with 25 (27%) planning a career in general paediatrics. This contrasts with the 2002 survey when 76% wished to work in urban centres and 61% of trainees planned a career in general paediatrics. There appears to be a mismatch between the career goals of the future paediatric consultant workforce and the requirements for staffing paediatric units nationally. This has the potential to complicate the proposed expansion of general paediatricians in regional centres and result in a significant proportion of current trainees failing to secure a post in their desired location.

Preparing paediatric public health services for disability sector reform: linking across services and sectors to translate policy into practice

Introduction: The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is a transformational reform of Australia’s disability sector, bringing complete disruption to long established relationships, pathways and processes that link the disability sector with mainstream services. Children’s Health Queensland Hospital and Health Service (CHQHHS) and the Queensland Child and Youth Clinical Network (QCYCN) have partnered to lead an integrated approach to preparing for disability sector reform to enable paediatric health service and workforce readiness. Description of Policy Context: The NDIS roll-out is occurring in a complex and dynamic environment where the implications of policy decisions are fully understood only as the change occurs. Health and other services need to make informed yet flexible decisions to ensure that service models, systems and practices fit with the new context. Targeted population: Stakeholders active in the paediatric health-disability interface Highlights: Partnerships that enable translation and communication of the implications of disability sector reform, including the differentiated roles and responsibilities of health and disability Collaborations that support clinical and health information systems prepare for cross-sector reform and mitigate associated risk Robust linkages across Health Services, mainstream providers and the emerging disability sector to improve access and outcomes for children with a disability and their families. Conclusion: The NDIS continues to be a catalyst for partnerships to enhance care for children with complex and chronic conditions and to understand and operationalise the differentiated business of the health and disability sectors. Proactive collaboration along the continuum of care and across service sectors has proved to be an efficient and effective way of building capacity ahead of the NDIS.

A Workforce Survey on Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics.

Developmental-behavioral conditions are common, affecting ∼15% of US children. The prevalence and complexity of these conditions are increasing despite long wait times and a limited pipeline of new providers. We surveyed a convenience sample of the developmental-behavioral pediatric (DBP) workforce to determine current practices, workforce trends, and future needs. An electronic survey was e-mailed to 1568 members of the American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics and Council on Children with Disabilities, the Society for Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, and the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners Developmental and Behavioral Mental Health Special Interest Group. The response rate was 48%. There were 411 fellowship-trained physicians, 147 nonfellowship-trained physicians, and 125 nurse practitioners; 61% were women, 79% were white, and 5% were Hispanic. Physicians had a mean of 29 years since medical school graduation, and one-third planned to retire in 3 to 5 years. Nurse practitioners were earlier in their careers. Respondents reported long wait times for new appointments, clinician burnout, increased patient complexity and up to 50% additional time spent per visit in nonreimbursed clinical-care activities. Female subspecialists spent more time per visit in billable and nonbillable components of clinical care. The DBP workforce struggles to meet current service demands, with long waits for appointments, increased complexity, and high volumes of nonreimbursed care. Sex-based practice differences must be considered in future planning. The viability of the DBP subspecialty requires strategies to maintain and expand the workforce, improve clinical efficiency, and prevent burnout.

Revisiting the Viability of the Developmental-Behavioral Health Care Workforce.

* Abbreviations: ABP — : American Board of Pediatrics ABPN — : American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology DB — : developmental-behavioral DBP — : developmental-behavioral pediatrics NDD — : neurodevelopmental disabilities In their article entitled “2015 Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics Workforce Survey,” Bridgemohan et al1 argue that the current system for managing US children with complex developmental-behavioral (DB) conditions is not viable. Despite high demand for services as measured by the increasing prevalence and complexity of childhood DB conditions, the provider supply remains limited. Results from their survey with general and subspecialty physicians and nurse practitioners, who self-identified as assessing and treating children with DB needs, suggest inadequate overall numbers of providers and overworked physicians; in addition, one-third of physician respondents reported planned retirement in 3 to 5 years.1 Two critical questions arise: (1) given a 48% response rate across a convenience sample from 3 membership organizations, are the results generalizable to the larger DB workforce, and (2) if yes, what are the implications for the health care workforce caring for children with DB conditions? Although it is difficult to determine the study’s generalizability by using publicly available information, additional data shed light on supply constraints. Certification data suggest the survey captured 261 of 775 (33.7%) of … Address correspondence to Laurel K. Leslie, MD, MPH, American Board of Pediatrics, 111 Silver Cedar Court, Chapel Hill, NC 27514. E-mail: lleslie{at}abpeds.org