Investing in the future: building an academic hospitalist faculty development program

Development and Implementation of a Hospitalist Faculty Development Program in a University- and Community-Based Multihospital System

OBJECTIVES

Robust faculty development (FD) is an emerging area of focus within hospital medicine, a relatively new specialty with limited mentorship infrastructure to find and develop a professional niche. There are few descriptions in the literature of establishing and evaluating an FD program with strategies to evaluate success, invite collaboration, and achieve feasible, useful metrics.

METHODS

We created our University Division of Hospital Medicine's FD Program to help community and academic hospitalist faculty fulfill professional goals in (and beyond) quality improvement, leadership, education, and clinical skills. We describe program development, initial implementation, and early evaluation results. We outline program roles and offerings such as professional development awards, lectures, and mentorship structures.

RESULTS

Our program was successfully implemented, measured by engagement and participation via preliminary indicators suggesting programmatic effectiveness: faculty who applied for (and continued participation in) mentorship and faculty development awards and faculty who attended our lecture series. Since program implementation, faculty retention has increased, and percentages of faculty reporting they were likely to remain were stable, even during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Scholarly production increased and the number of division associate professors/professors grew from 2 in 2015 to 19 in 2024.

CONCLUSIONS

Our experience can guide institutions seeking to support and encourage faculty professional development. Lessons learned include the importance of needs assessment and leadership commitment to meeting identified needs; how a steering committee can amplify the effectiveness and relevance of FD efforts; and the utility of multiple recognition strategies-quarterly newsletters, monthly clinical recognition, mentions on social media-to support and encourage faculty.

Faculty Development in Academic Hospital Medicine: a Scoping Review

This scoping review sought to identify and describe the state of academic faculty development programs in hospital medicine and other specialties. We reviewed faculty development content, structure, metrics of success including facilitators, barriers, and sustainability to create a framework and inform hospital medicine leadership and faculty development initiatives. We completed a systematic search of peer-reviewed literature and searched Ovid MEDLINE ALL (1946 to June 17, 2021) and Embase (via Elsevier, 1947 to June 17, 2021). Twenty-two studies were included in the final review, with wide heterogeneity in program design, program description, outcomes, and study design. Program design included a combination of didactics, workshops, and community or networking events; half of the studies included mentorship or coaching for faculty. Thirteen studies included program description and institutional experience without reported outcomes while eight studies included quantitative analysis and mixed methods results. Barriers to program success included limited time and support for faculty attendance, conflicting clinical commitments, and lack of mentor availability. Facilitators included allotted funding and time for faculty participation, formal mentoring and coaching opportunities, and a structured curriculum with focused skill development supporting faculty priorities. We identified heterogeneous historical studies addressing faculty development across highly variable program design, intervention, faculty targeted, and outcomes assessed. Common themes emerged, including the need for program structure and support, aligning areas of skill development with faculty values, and longitudinal mentoring/coaching. Programs require dedicated program leadership, support for faculty time and participation, curricula focused on skills development, and mentoring and sponsorship.

Telehealth Competencies in Medical Education: New Frontiers in Faculty Development and Learner Assessments

Telehealth visits have become an integral model of healthcare delivery since the COVID-19 pandemic. This rapid expansion of telehealthcare delivery has forced faculty development and trainee education in telehealth to occur simultaneously. In response, academic medical institutions have quickly implemented clinical training to teach digital health skills to providers across the medical education continuum. Yet, learners of all levels must still receive continual assessment and feedback on their skills to align with the telehealth competencies and milestones set forth by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). This paper discusses key educational needs and emerging areas for faculty development in telehealth teaching and assessment of telehealth competencies. It proposes strategies for the successful integration of the AAMC telehealth competencies and ACGME milestones into medical education, including skills in communication, data gathering, and patient safety with appropriate telehealth use. Direct observation tools in the paper offer educators novel instruments to assess telehealth competencies in medical students, residents, and peer faculty. The integration of AAMC and ACGME telehealth competencies and the new assessment tools in this paper provide a unique perspective to advance clinical practice and teaching skills in telehealthcare delivery.

Characteristics, satisfiers, development needs, and barriers to success for early-career academic hospitalists

BACKGROUND

Academic hospitalists engage in many non-clinical domains. Success in these domains requires support, mentorship, protected time, and networks. To address these non-clinical competencies, faculty development programs have been implemented. We aim to describe the demographics, job characteristics, satisfiers, and barriers to success of early-career academic hospitalists who attended the Academic Hospitalist Academic (AHA), a professional development conference from 2009 to 2019.

METHODS

Survey responses from attendees were evaluated; statistical analyses and linear regression were performed for numerical responses and qualitative coding was performed for textual responses.

RESULTS

A total of 965 hospitalists attended the AHA from 2009 to 2019. Of those, 812 (84%) completed the survey. The mean age of participants was 34 years and the mean time in hospitalist practice was 3.2 years. Most hospitalists were satisfied with their job, and teaching and clinical care were identified as the best parts of the job. The proportion of female hospitalists increased from 42.2% in 2009 to 60% in 2019 (p = 0.001). No other demographics or job characteristics significantly changed over the years. Lack of time and confidence in individual skills were the most common barriers identified in both bedside teaching and providing feedback, and providing constructive feedback was an additional challenge identified in giving feedback.

CONCLUSIONS

Though early-career hospitalists reported high levels of job satisfaction driven by teaching and clinical care, barriers to success include time constraints and confidence. Awareness of these factors of satisfaction and barriers to success can help shape faculty development curricula for early-career hospitalists.

An Evaluation of Faculty Development Programs for Clinician-Educators: A Scoping Review

PURPOSE

Faculty development (FD) has become increasingly important for clinician-educators. An array of FD programs has been developed, but the impact of these programs on clinician-educators and their learners and workplace is less known. The authors conducted a scoping review to explore the status of program evaluation in FD for clinician-educators to inform future planning and research.

METHOD

Five databases were searched for articles published from January 1998 to August 2018 using Arksey and O'Malley's framework and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews. Studies that described evaluation methods and outcomes of FD programs for clinician-educators were included. Data were collected and organized according to program domain (teaching, research/scholarship, leadership, or a combination of skills). A modified version of the Kirkpatrick model was used to compare results among studies.

RESULTS

From a total of 2,091 articles, 1,095 were eligible for full review, and 31 met the inclusion criteria. Seven programs targeted only teaching skills, 3 research/scholarship skills, 7 leadership skills, and 14 a combination of skills. Eighteen programs required the completion of a project; fewer offered fellowships, master's degrees, or certificates. Participant surveys were the most common evaluation method across all domains. Often used metrics included participant satisfaction and self-reported knowledge, skills, behavior changes, scholarly output, and leadership positions. Less common evaluation methods included learner and peer evaluations, interviews, and focus groups. Change at the institutional level was evaluated in 11 programs.

CONCLUSIONS

Program evaluation remains an underdeveloped area in FD for clinician-educators. Developers expend significant effort on program design and implementation but approach evaluation less purposefully. Rigorous metrics that align with program goals and are used longitudinally are needed to accurately assess the impact of FD programs on participants and their learners, workplace, and institutions at large.

Current Practices and Perspectives on Peer Observation and Feedback: A National Survey

OBJECTIVE

Peer observation and feedback (POF) is the direct observation of an activity performed by a colleague followed by feedback with the goal of improved performance and professional development. Although well described in the education literature, the use of POF as a tool for development beyond teaching skills has not been explored. We aimed to characterize the practice of POF among pediatric hospitalists to explore the perceived benefits and barriers and to identify preferences regarding POF.

METHODS

We developed a 14-item cross-sectional survey regarding divisional expectations, personal practice, perceived benefits and barriers, and preferences related to POF. We refined the survey based on expert feedback, cognitive interviews, and pilot testing, distributing the final survey to pediatric hospitalists at 12 institutions across the United States.

RESULTS

Of 357 eligible participants, 198 (56%) responded, with 115 (58%) practicing in a freestanding children's hospital. Although 61% had participated in POF, less than one half (42%) reported divisional POF expectation. The most common perceived benefits of POF were identifying areas for improvement (94%) and learning about colleagues' teaching and clinical styles (94%). The greatest perceived barriers were time (51%) and discomfort with receiving feedback from peers (38%), although participation within a POF program reduced perceived barriers. Most (76%) desired formal POF programs focused on improving teaching skills (85%), clinical management (83%), and family-centered rounds (82%).

CONCLUSIONS

Although the majority of faculty desired POF, developing a supportive environment and feasible program is challenging. This study provides considerations for improving and designing POF programs.

Training Residents in Hospital Medicine: The Hospitalist Elective National Survey

As the field of hospital medicine expands, internal medicine residency programs can play a role in preparing future hospitalists. To date, little is known of the prevalence and characteristics of hospitalist-focused resident rotations. We surveyed the largest 100 Internal Medicine Residency Programs to better understand the prevalence, objectives, and structure of hospitalist-focused rotations in the United States. Residency leaders from 82 programs responded (82%). The prevalence of hospitalist-focused rotations was 50% (41/82) with an additional 9 programs (11%) planning to start one. Of these 41 rotations, 85% were elective rotations and 15% were mandatory rotations. Rotations involved clinical responsibilities, and most programs incorporated nonclinical curricular activities such as teaching, research, and work on quality improvement and patient safety. Respondents noted that their programs promoted autonomy, mentorship, and "real-world" hospitalist experience. Hospitalist-focused rotations may supplement traditional inpatient rotations and teach skills that facilitate the transition from residency to a career in hospital medicine.

Undergraduate Plastic Surgery Education: A National Survey of Clerkship Directors

Background

The delivery of medical education has received increased attention in recent years due to ongoing time and financial constraints faced by medical educators. Given the recent calls to action by the Carnegie Foundation and Health Canada, an evaluation of the specialty education sector is warranted. To our knowledge, this is the first assessment of the Canadian plastic surgery undergraduate clerkship curriculum.

Method

An anonymous electronic survey was distributed to the plastic surgery clerkship directors of all Canadian medical schools (N = 17). The survey consisted of Likert scales and open-ended short answer questions. Themes included general clerkship information, exposure characteristics, teaching characteristics, resource characteristics, and challenges and barriers faced by clerkship directors.

Results

Survey response rate was 88%. All responding schools offered a clerkship rotation of varying length in time (1-4 weeks). Students had the most exposure to breast surgery (100%) and general plastic surgery (100%) and the least exposure to aesthetic surgery (40%). Sixty percent of schools indicated the use of modern educational methods. Resources available for teaching students varied. Rotations received excellent feedback from medical students (67%). More than half of respondents would like to see a universal, nationally formulated plastic surgery clerkship curriculum.

Conclusion

There is significant heterogeneity in the delivery of plastic surgery clerkship in Canada. A number of areas for improvement have been identified. We hope to establish a national plastic surgery clerkship task force to address the concerns raised here and improve the delivery of undergraduate medical education. Assessment of students based on a national curriculum may help in decision-making regarding plastic surgery program admissions by introducing an element of standardization to clerkship exposure.

Supporting Faculty Development in Hospital Medicine: Design and Implementation of a Personalized Structured Mentoring Program

The guidance of a mentor can have a tremendous influence on the careers of academic physicians. The lack of mentorship in the relatively young field of hospital medicine has been documented, but the efficacy of formalized mentorship programs has not been well studied. We implemented and evaluated a structured mentorship program for junior faculty at a large academic medical center. Of the 16 mentees who participated in the mentorship program, 14 (88%) completed preintervention surveys and 10 (63%) completed postintervention surveys. After completing the program, there was a statistically significant improvement in overall satisfaction within 5 specific domains: career planning, professional connectedness, self-reflection, research skills, and mentoring skills. All mentees reported that they would recommend that all hospital medicine faculty participate in similar mentorship programs. In this small, single-center pilot study, we found that the addition of a structured mentorship program based on training sessions that focus on best practices in mentoring was feasible and led to increased satisfaction in certain career domains among early-career hospitalists. Larger prospective studies with a longer follow-up are needed to assess the generalizability and durability of our findings.

Developing a competency framework for academic physicians

BACKGROUND

There is a mismatch between the requirements of the multifaceted role of academic physicians and their education. Medical institutions use faculty development initiatives to support their junior academic physicians, however, these rarely revolve around academic physician competencies. The aim of this study was to identify these academic physician competencies and develop a competency framework customized to an organizational context.

METHODS

The authors conducted semi-structured interviews and Critical Incident Technique with 25 academic physicians at a teaching medical center in the Middle East region inquiring about the behaviors of academic physicians in teaching, clinical, research, and administrative roles.

RESULTS

Using content analysis, the authors identified 16 competencies: five "Supporting Competencies", common to all four roles of academic physicians, and 11 "Function-Specific Competencies", specific to the role being fulfilled. The developed framework shared similarities with frameworks reported in the literature but also had some distinctions.

CONCLUSIONS

The framework developed represents a step towards closing the gap between the skills medical students are taught and the skills required of academic physicians. The model was customized to the context of the current organization and included a future orientation and addressed the literature calling for increasing focus on the administrative skills of academic physicians.

Visiting professorship in hospital medicine: An innovative twist for a growing specialty

INTRODUCTION

As an emerging and rapidly growing specialty, academic hospitalists face unique challenges in career advancement. Key mentoring needs, especially developing reputation and relationships outside of their institution are often challenging.

METHODS

We describe the structure of a novel Visiting Professorship in Hospital Medicine Program. It utilizes reciprocal exchanges of hospitalist faculty at the rank of late assistant to early associate professor. The program is designed explicitly to facilitate spread of innovation between institutions through a presentation by the visiting professor and exposure to an innovation at the host hospital medicine group. It provides a platform to advance the career success of both early- and midcareer hospitalist faculty through 1-on-1 coaching sessions between the visiting professor and early-career faculty at the host institution and commitment by visiting professors to engage in mentoring after the visit.

RESULTS

Five academic hospitalist groups participated. Seven visiting professors met with 29 early-career faculty. Experience following faculty exchange visits demonstrates program effectiveness, as perceived by both early-career faculty and the visiting professors, in advancing the goals of mentorship and career advancement. One-year follow-up suggests that 62% of early-career faculty will engage in subsequent interactions with the visiting professor, and half report spread of innovation between academic hospital medicine groups.

CONCLUSIONS

The Visiting Professorship in Hospital Medicine offers a low-cost framework to promote collaboration between academic hospital medicine groups and facilitate interinstitutional hospitalist mentoring. It is reported to be effective for the goal of professional development for midcareer hospitalists. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2016;11:714-718. © 2016 Society of Hospital Medicine.

Implementation and evaluation of a "works-in-progress" session to promote scholarship in an academic hospitalist group

BACKGROUND

Hospitalists frequently work on diverse projects, but often do not have the training and experience necessary to translate projects into peer-reviewed publications and grants.

OBJECTIVE

Describe implementation and effect of a works-in-progress (WIP) series on progress and training in scholarly work.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional survey.

SETTING

Urban academic medical center.

INTERVENTION

A weekly WIP session, named Incubator, serving as a forum where researchers, clinicians, and educators meet to review and provide feedback on projects underway across the Division of Hospital Medicine.

MEASUREMENTS

We surveyed presenters at Incubator to evaluate the impact of Incubator on scholarly activities. Responses were based on Kirkpatrick's 4-level training hierarchy: (1) Reaction: participants' satisfaction; (2) Learning: knowledge acquisition; (3) Behavior: application of skills; and (4) Results of projects. We compared responses between researchers and nonresearchers using χ² tests.

RESULTS

Of 51 surveys completed (response rate 70%), 35 (69%) projects were nonresearcher led. Reaction, behavior change, and results were all positive, with >90% respondents reporting a positive outcome in each category, a high rate of publication/funding, and 35% reporting learning as a result of Incubator. Comparison of researchers and nonresearchers revealed no significant differences, except nonresearchers reported significantly more favorable results in behavior and mentoring (P < 0.05).

DISCUSSION

A regularly scheduled, researcher-led WIP session within a largely clinically oriented hospital medicine division can provide a venue for feedback that may promote progress and practical training in scholarly projects. In addition to robust career mentorship programs and protected time, a WIP can be an adjunct to improve scholarly output among academic hospitalists. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2016;11:719-723. © 2016 Society of Hospital Medicine.

A systematic review of faculty development initiatives designed to enhance teaching effectiveness: A 10-year update: BEME Guide No. 40

BACKGROUND

This review, which focused on faculty development initiatives designed to improve teaching effectiveness, synthesized findings related to intervention types, study characteristics, individual and organizational outcomes, key features, and community building.

METHODS

This review included 111 studies (between 2002 and 2012) that met the review criteria.

FINDINGS

Overall satisfaction with faculty development programs was high. Participants reported increased confidence, enthusiasm, and awareness of effective educational practices. Gains in knowledge and skills, and self-reported changes in teaching behaviors, were frequently noted. Observed behavior changes included enhanced teaching practices, new educational initiatives, new leadership positions, and increased academic output. Organizational changes were infrequently explored. Key features included evidence-informed educational design, relevant content, experiential learning, feedback and reflection, educational projects, intentional community building, longitudinal program design, and institutional support.

CONCLUSION

This review holds implications for practice and research. Moving forward, we should build on current success, broaden the focus beyond individual teaching effectiveness, develop programs that extend over time, promote workplace learning, foster community development, and secure institutional support. We should also embed studies in a theoretical framework, conduct more qualitative and mixed methods studies, assess behavioral and organizational change, evaluate transfer to practice, analyse key features, and explore the role of faculty development within the larger organizational context.

Perceptions of division directors in general internal medicine about the importance of and support for scholarly work done by clinician-educators

PURPOSE

To determine perceptions of general internal medicine (GIM) division directors of the importance of and support for clinician-educators' (CEs') scholarship.

METHOD

In 2010, the authors identified 127 accredited U.S. MD-granting medical schools with a GIM division, identified 144 GIM directors, and were able to survey 129 of them. Directors were asked to rate the importance of specific CE scholarly accomplishments for promotion from assistant to associate professor, to describe current research support for CEs, and to state how they would support the scholarly work of CEs if they had funding.

RESULTS

Fifty-five directors (42.6%) from 52 institutions responded; there were no significant differences between responding and nonresponding schools. Curriculum development, presentations at national meetings and other institutions, review articles, and book chapters were rated as "most/very important" or "important/somewhat important" by over 90%. Approximately half rated published original peer-reviewed articles as "most/very important"; slightly less than half rated these "not important," a difference associated with having a specific CE track. If $100,000 per year were available to enhance the scholarly productivity of CEs, directors suggested spending it on faculty development, project coordination, protected time for CEs, and methodological and statistical support.

CONCLUSIONS

This nationwide survey of GIM division directors confirms that academic CEs in GIM are judged on a wide variety of scholarly activities, many of which are consistent across institutions. However, academic GIM CEs need to understand their institutions' specific criteria, especially regarding the value placed on original, peer-reviewed publications.

Faculty development for hospitalists: structured peer observation of teaching

BACKGROUND

Hospitalists provide much of the clinical teaching in internal medicine, yet formative feedback to improve their teaching is rare.

METHODS

We developed a peer observation, assessment, and feedback program to improve attending hospitalist teaching. Participants were trained to identify 10 optimal teaching behaviors using a structured observation tool that was developed from the validated Stanford Faculty Development Program clinical teaching framework. Participants joined year-long feedback dyads and engaged in peer observation and feedback on teaching. Pre- and post-program surveys assessed confidence in teaching, performance of teaching behaviors, confidence in giving and receiving feedback, attitudes toward peer observation, and overall satisfaction with the program.

RESULTS

Twenty-two attending hospitalists participated, averaging 2.2 years (± 2.1 years standard deviation [SD]) experience; 15 (68%) completed pre- and post-program surveys. Confidence in giving feedback, receiving feedback, and teaching efficacy increased (1 = strongly disagree, 5 = strongly agree, mean ± SD): "I can accurately assess my colleagues' teaching skills," (pre = 3.2 ± 0.9 vs post = 4.1 ± 0.6, P < 0.01), "I can give accurate feedback to my colleagues" (pre = 3.4 ± 0.6 vs post = 4.2 ± 0.6, P < 0.01), and "I am confident in my ability to teach students and residents" (pre = 3.2 ± 0.9 vs post = 3.7 ± 0.8, P = 0.026).

CONCLUSIONS

Peer observation and feedback of teaching increases hospitalist confidence in several domains that are essential for optimizing teaching. Further studies are needed to examine if educational outcomes are improved by this program.

Research and publication trends in hospital medicine

BACKGROUND

Research by hospitalists may aid the evolution of hospital medicine into an academic specialty.

OBJECTIVE

To describe the factors associated with research and publication activities among hospitalists and describe trends in hospitalist-led publications.

METHODS

We surveyed members of the Society of Hospital Medicine in June 2012 and conducted univariate analyses on their responses to determine predictors of successful authorship and to describe factors associated with research engagement. We searched PubMed from the database inception to October 2013 for publications with "hospitalist" or "hospital medicine" affiliated authors. Original research articles were reviewed for methodology and funding sources.

RESULTS

Of the 645 respondents (5.8% response rate), 277 (43%) had authored peer-reviewed publications, 126 (19%) had access to mentorship, and 68 (11%) reported funding support. There were 213 (33%) who were engaged in research, with the majority conducting quality improvement (QI) research (n = 152, 24%). Completion of a fellowship, pediatrics training, the presence of a mentor, funding, and >25% protected time for research were each individually associated with an increased likelihood of authoring publications. Hospitalist-led publications in PubMed have been increasing from 36 in 2006 to 179 in the first 10 months of 2013. Of the original research publications (n = 317), the majority were clinical (n = 129, 41%), and 58 (18%) were QI. Thirty-nine (22%) authors reported funding support.

CONCLUSIONS

Peer-reviewed publications by hospitalists are increasing, suggesting the academic maturation of hospital medicine. Provision of mentorship for hospitalists specifically in QI and guidance toward funding resources may assist in supporting this trend.

Associations between use of the hospitalist model and quality of care and outcomes of older patients hospitalized for heart failure

OBJECTIVES

This study sought to examine the associations of hospitalist and cardiologist care of patients with heart failure with outcomes and adherence to quality measures.

BACKGROUND

The hospitalist model of inpatient care has grown nationally, but its associations with quality of care and outcomes of patients hospitalized with heart failure are not known.

METHODS

We analyzed data from the Get With the Guidelines-Heart Failure registry linked to Medicare claims for 2005 through 2008. For each hospital, we calculated the percentage of heart failure hospitalizations for which a hospitalist was the attending physician. We examined outcomes and care quality for patients stratified by rates of hospitalist use. Using multivariable models, we estimated associations between hospital-level use of hospitalists and cardiologists and 30-day risk-adjusted outcomes and adherence to measures of quality care.

RESULTS

The analysis included 31,505 Medicare beneficiaries in 166 hospitals. Across hospitals, the use of hospitalists varied from 0% to 83%. After multivariable adjustment, a 10% increase in the use of hospitalists was associated with a slight increase in mortality (risk ratio: 1.03; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.00 to 1.06) and decrease in length of stay (0.09 days; 95% CI: 0.02 to 0.16). There was no association with 30-day readmission. Increased use of hospitalists in hospitals with high use of cardiologists was associated with improved defect-free adherence to a composite of heart failure performance measures (risk ratio: 1.03; 95% CI: 1.01 to 1.06).

CONCLUSIONS

Hospitalist care varied significantly across hospitals for heart failure admissions and was not associated with improved 30-day outcomes. Comanagement by hospitalists and cardiologists may help to improve adherence to some quality measures, but it remains unclear what care model improves 30-day clinical outcomes.

Mentorship: concepts and application to plastic surgery training programs

BACKGROUND

Countless articles have demonstrated and emphasized the importance of mentoring in academic medicine. However, the upcoming role of mentors in the evolving medical field is poorly defined. As translational medicine, collaboration, and health care priorities change, so too must the goals and use of mentoring. The aims of this article are to demonstrate key aspects of effective mentoring in academic plastic surgery, show institutions how to cultivate mentoring relationships among their faculty and trainees, and provide direction for how to optimize the future use of mentoring to best prepare the next generation of plastic surgeons.

METHODS

The authors reviewed the current literature regarding mentorship and the evolution of academic plastic surgery.

RESULTS

Mentors not only facilitate their protégés' entrance into the field and future success, but can also attract medical students and residents to careers in research and reduce the racial and gender discrepancies in plastic surgery and academia. Ideally, faculty should undergo some form of training before they enter mentoring relationships. This will ensure that they are aware of their specific duties as mentors, are able to communicate with mentees, and can avoid potential pitfalls.

CONCLUSIONS

Mentorship is a tool. If used correctly, it can help recruit and retain talented physician-scientists to plastic surgery to satisfy the growing demand. This will require institutions to actively support mentorship, provide opportunities and resources for training mentors, and enable faculty to allocate time to this vital pursuit.

Collaborative development of teaching scripts: an efficient faculty development approach for a busy clinical teaching unit

BACKGROUND

Exemplary teachers have been shown to use teaching scripts, ways of organizing the content and instructional approach for commonly encountered teachable moments. This study describes a busy hospitalist unit's early experience with the collaborative development of teaching scripts.

METHODS

In 2010, during monthly workshops, 10 faculty members each prepared and presented a teaching script for a different commonly encountered diagnosis. Open-ended surveys assessing the impact on faculty were analyzed using an iterative approach. Changes in faculty self-efficacy, and the frequency and applicability of teaching were measured.

RESULTS

The program required 10 hours of attendance time and a mean of 4.3 hours for each faculty member who prepared a teaching script. No significant differences in quantity or applicability of teaching were detected, but faculty self-efficacy improved significantly. In addition, faculty described beneficial effects in their individual professional development, development of a shared mental model of professional responsibility, and interpersonal relationships. A majority of comments were positive; negative comments focused on the time required to prepare scripts, and apprehension about presenting to peers.

CONCLUSIONS

The program was an efficient approach to improve self-rated teaching skills, enhance professional development, and build collegiality among clinician-teachers.

Research needs of pediatric hospitalists

OBJECTIVE

To assess the current state of research productivity, goals, obstacles, and needs of pediatric hospitalists.

METHODS

The American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Hospital Medicine performed a cross-sectional online survey of pediatric hospitalists. Questions assessed demographics, research productivity, system-level factors, research interests, goals and obstacles, and the perceived need for research training and support.

RESULTS

Two hundred twenty pediatric hospitalists in the United States completed the survey. Of these, 56% had presented at a national meeting, 24% were first authors of an article in a peer-reviewed journal, 8% had more than publications, and 12% had secured external grant support. While 90% of respondents had spent 10% or less time in research, 64% had an academic appointment at the assistant professor level or above. Nearly 40% felt that their institution expected them to do research, and 56% were interested and another 27% were very interested in conducting research. The main research interest was quality improvement (QI) evaluation. Common obstacles to research were lack of time, mentorship, and resources.

CONCLUSIONS

Pediatric hospitalists want to conduct research to improve the quality of inpatient care but face significant obstacles including lack of dedicated time for research and mentorship. Coordinated efforts to improve access to academic resources are important for career development and academic growth of the field. National organizations and hospital programs interested in improving the quality of care for hospitalized children can provide support to meet the field's professional needs for research.