Abstract
Background: Whereas management of acute illness via the telephone is common in pediatric practice, formal instruction during Pediatric residency training is found in less than 50% of the training programs in the United States. Purpose: To assess the educational impact of an instructional program in Pediatric telephone management. Methods: A telephone management curriculum was created consisting of: 1) residents were supervised answering parent phone calls during their one month ambulatory Pediatrics rotation, 2) each morning phone calls from the previous day were reviewed by the residents and an attending, 3) required readings, and 4) monthly conferences for all of the residents involving discussion and role playing of common topics in telephone management. A questionnaire was distributed to residents following their ambulatory Pediatric rotation consisting of retrospective pre/post Likert-like questions and open-ended questions to assess: 1) perceived acquisition of skills, 2) change in confidence, and 3) impact on management decisions. Results: Of 30 questionnaires sent, 14 (47%) were returned (4 PL-1, 5 PL-2, 4 PL-3, 1 unmarked). Overall trends suggested that the instructional program improved skills and confidence at all levels of training. Specifically, PL-1 and PL-3 residents noted significant changes. Half of the PL-2 residents described significant change while the other half noted no impact. PL-1 residents described the practical benefit of reviewing common problems whereas PL-2 and PL-3 residents consistently noted a need to address more specific management issues. Conclusions: A telephone management curriculum has a positive impact on Pediatric residents' perceived skills and confidence. Educators may want to individualize the content according to level of training. Such a structured experience may help to prepare residents for future practice.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 118A |
Journal | Journal of Investigative Medicine |
Volume | 47 |
Issue number | 2 |
State | Published - Feb 1999 |
Externally published | Yes |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology