Implicit Bias and Health Disparities Education in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

OBJECTIVE

 This study aimed to characterize implicit bias (IB) and health disparities (HD) education in neonatal-perinatal medicine (NPM), including current educational opportunities, resources, and barriers.

STUDY DESIGN

 A national web-based survey was sent to NPM fellows, neonatologists, and frontline providers after iterative review by education experts from the National Neonatology Curriculum Committee. Quantitative data were analyzed with chi-square and Fisher's exact tests. Qualitative data were evaluated using thematic analysis.

RESULTS

 Of the 452 NPM survey respondents, most desired additional IB (76%) and HD (83%) education. A greater proportion of neonatologists than fellows received IB (83 vs. 57%) and HD (87 vs. 74%) education. Only 41% of neonatologists reported that their institution requires IB training. A greater proportion of fellows than neonatologists expressed dissatisfaction with the current approaches for IB (51 vs. 25%, p < 0.001) and HD (43 vs. 25%, p = 0.015) education. The leading drivers of dissatisfaction included insufficient time spent on the topics, lack of specificity to NPM, inadequate curricular scope or depth, and lack of local educator expertise. A minority of faculty who were tasked to educate others have received specific educator training on IB (21%) and HD (16%). Thematic analysis of survey free-text responses identified three main themes on the facilitators and barriers to successful IB and HD education: individual, environmental, and curricular design variables.

CONCLUSION

 NPM trainees and neonatologists desire tailored, active, and expert-guided IB and HD education. Identified barriers are important to address in developing an effective IB/HD curriculum for the NPM community.

KEY POINTS

· There is a gap between the current delivery of IB/HD education and the needs of the NPM community.. · NPM trainees and neonatologists desire tailored, active, and expert-guided IB and HD education.. · A successful curriculum should be widely accessible, NPM-specific, and include facilitator training..

Building Relationships: Advanced Practice Providers and Fellows in Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine

OBJECTIVE

 Advanced practice providers (APPs) are a critical component of health care teams, especially in the neonatal intensive care unit. At times, APPs and neonatal-perinatal medicine (NPM) fellows may experience tension in their professional relationship. They may perceive the other's performance and abilities differently. We hypothesized that satisfaction with the APP-NPM fellow interprofessional relationship would be associated with higher perception of APP competence by NPM fellows.

STUDY DESIGN

 We surveyed 274 medical providers: NPM fellows (24.8%), NPM program directors (24.5%), and APPs (50.7%). APPs were defined as neonatal nurse practitioners, pediatric nurse practitioners, physician assistants, or neonatal hospitalists. We obtained demographic data, information about sources of conflict in the APP-NPM fellow relationship, level of satisfaction with the relationship, and targeted interventions for improvement. NPM fellow perception of APP competence as well as APP self-assessed competence were elicited. Statistical analyses were performed with chi-square tests and Fisher's exact tests.

RESULTS

 Overall, APPs and NPM fellows were generally satisfied with their relationship. All groups reported APP competence as equivalent to a third-year NPM fellow. NPM fellow perception of APP competence increased with year of fellow training. Higher perceived APP competence by NPM fellows correlated with higher relationship satisfaction scores. Difficulties with teamwork, communication and respect were associated with lower satisfaction within the APP-NPM fellow relationship.

CONCLUSION

 The professional working dynamic between these two groups is viewed positively by all. Satisfaction with the APP-NPM fellow relationship correlated with higher perception of APP competence by NPM fellows. Targeted interventions that increase NPM fellow perception of APP competence and ameliorate the difficulties encountered in the APP-NPM fellow relationship may improve this interprofessional relationship.

KEY POINTS

· Advanced practice providers and NPM fellows may have similar responsibilities leading to challenges.. · NPM fellows with higher perceived competence of APPs had higher satisfaction with their relationship.. · Training APPs to teach, creating interprofessional education, and routine debrief sessions may help..

Comparison of knowledge acquisition and retention following traditional didactic vs. flipped classroom education utilizing a standardized national curriculum: a randomized controlled trial

OBJECTIVE

Measure the effectiveness of and preference for a standardized, national curriculum utilizing flipped classrooms (FC) in neonatal-perinatal medicine (NPM) fellowships.

STUDY DESIGN

Multicentered equivalence, cluster randomized controlled trial of NPM fellowship programs randomized to receive standardized physiology education as in-class lectures (traditional didactic, TD arm) or as pre-class online videos followed by in-class discussions (FC arm). Four multiple-choice question quizzes and three surveys were administered to measure knowledge acquisition, retention, and educational preferences.

RESULTS

530 fellows from 61 NPM fellowships participated. Quiz performance was comparable between groups at all time points (p = NS, TD vs FC at 4 time points). Post intervention, more fellows in both groups preferred group discussions (pre/post FC 42% vs. 58%, P = 0.002; pre/post TD 43% vs. 60%, P = < 0.001). FC fellows were more likely to rate classroom effectiveness positively (FC/TD, 70% vs. 36%, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

FCs promote knowledge acquisition and retention equivalent to TD and FC modalities are preferred by fellows.

Consensus on an implicit bias and health disparities curriculum in neonatal medicine: a Delphi study

OBJECTIVE

Despite longstanding and recurrent calls for effective implicit bias (IB) education in health professions education as one mechanism to reduce ongoing racism and health disparities, such curricula for neonatal-perinatal medicine (NPM) are limited. We aim to determine the key curricular elements for educating NPM fellows, advanced practice providers, and attending physicians in the critical topics of IB and health disparities.

STUDY DESIGN

A modified Delphi study was performed with content experts in IB and health disparities who had educational relationships to those working and training in the neonatal intensive care unit.

RESULT

Three Delphi rounds were conducted from May to November 2021. Experts reached consensus on a variety of items for inclusion in the curriculum, including educational goals, learning objectives, teaching strategies, and educator principles.

CONCLUSION

Essential curricular components of an IB and health disparities curriculum for neonatal medicine were defined using rigorous consensus building methodology.

Flipping the Teachers: Impact of a Standardized Physiology Curriculum on Neonatology Medical Educators

OBJECTIVE

 Academic physicians must teach elements in an Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)-mandated curriculum while balancing career development and clinical workload. Exploring educator perceptions on the learning environment and comparing two instructional methods (traditional didactics [TD] vs. flipped classroom [FC]) in one pediatric subspecialty may elucidate current challenges, barriers, and strategies to optimize learning and educator satisfaction.

STUDY DESIGN

 A randomized trial comparing effectiveness and learner preference for FC versus TD physiology teaching was conducted in ACGME-accredited neonatal-perinatal medicine (NPM) fellowship programs in 2018 to 2019. Educator preferences were elicited through online surveys pre- and postintervention. Free-text comments were provided for questions exploring strengths, challenges, and opportunities in fellowship education. Statistical analysis included comparisons of demographics and pre-post-intervention educator responses between groups. Thematic analysis of text responses was conducted to identify common subthemes.

RESULTS

 From 61 participating programs, 114 FC educators and 130 TD educators completed surveys. At baseline, all educators experienced professional satisfaction from teaching fellows, but noted challenges with time available to create and/or deliver educational content, limited content expertise amongst faculty, colleagues' limited enthusiasm toward educating fellows, and lack of perceived value of education by institutions given limited protected time or credit toward promotion. Postintervention, educators in both groups noted a preference to teach physiology using FC due to interactivity, learner enthusiasm, and learner-centeredness. FC educators had a 17% increase in preference to teach using FC (p = 0.001). Challenges with FC included ensuring adequate trainee preparation, protecting educational time, and providing educators with opportunities to develop facilitation skills.

CONCLUSION

 Overall, NPM educators in a trial evaluating a standardized, peer-reviewed curriculum report professional satisfaction from teaching, but described logistical challenges with developing/delivering content. Educators preferred instruction using FC, but identified challenges with learner preparedness and ensuring adequate educator time and skill. Future efforts should be dedicated to addressing these barriers.

KEY POINTS

· Many challenges exist for educators teaching neonatal-perinatal medicine fellows, including time, support, and recognition.. · Many educators preferred using flipped classroom methodology with a standardized curriculum due to interactivity and learner-centeredness.. · Benefits of a standardized, peer-reviewed curriculum include reduced preparation time, adaptability of content, and learning environment enhancement..

Part 6: Essentials of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine fellowship: program administration

A successful Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine fellowship (NPM-F) program requires presence and insight of national and institutional supervisory organizations as well as effective program-specific leaders: program director (PD), associate program director (APD), program coordinator (PC), and core faculty. It is becoming more common for PDs and APDs to have advanced training in medical education and conduct medical education research. While NPM-F program leaders benefit from a strong national NPM educator community, they face challenges of increased regulatory burden and unclear national guidelines with variable local interpretation for protected time. National and local organizations can support program leaders and promote their academic success while reducing burnout and turnover by providing leadership training, academic mentoring, and adequate protected time for research and program-specific tasks.

Value, Strengths, and Challenges of e-Learning Modules Paired with the Flipped Classroom for Graduate Medical Education: A Survey from the National Neonatology Curriculum

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to determine the value, strengths, and challenges of implementing an e-learning based flipped classroom (FC) educational modality as part of the standardized physiology National Neonatology Curriculum (NNC), created for neonatal-perinatal medicine (NPM) fellow learners and faculty educators.

STUDY DESIGN

This is a cross-sectional study of NPM fellows and faculty educators who utilized at least one of the e-learning based NNC FC respiratory physiology programs between May and September 2018. Participants were surveyed anonymously regarding their experiences participating in the NNC, including measures of preparation time. A combination of descriptive statistics and proportion comparisons were used for data analysis.

RESULTS

Among 172 respondents, the majority of fellow and faculty respondents reported positive attitudes toward the educational content and case discussions, and the majority supported national standardization of NPM physiology education (92%). Fellows reported greater preclass preparation for their FC compared with previous didactic lectures (30-60 vs. 0-15 minutes, p < 0.01). Faculty facilitators reported less preparation time before facilitating a FC compared with the time required for creating a new didactic lecture (median: 60 vs. 240 minutes, p < 0.01). Both fellows and faculty respondents preferred the FC approach to traditional didactics, with fellows showing a greater degree of preference than faculty (68 vs. 52%, respectively, p = 0.04).

CONCLUSION

Fellows and faculty educators supported the FC learning, reporting peer-to-peer learning, and the establishment of a learning community which promotes adult learning and critical thinking skills. A national physiology curriculum creates equitable and engaging educational experiences for all NPM fellows while reducing individual program burden of content creation. Our findings further supported the development of an NNC using a flipped classroom modality.

Flipping the classroom: a national pilot curriculum for physiology in neonatal-perinatal medicine

OBJECTIVE

To explore interest, feasibility, perceived effectiveness, and acceptability of a standardized, national physiology curriculum for neonatal-perinatal medicine (NPM) fellows using online videos for knowledge acquisition paired with flipped classrooms (FCs) for knowledge application.

STUDY DESIGN

Two educational programs pairing online videos with FCs were developed and peer-reviewed. These programs were piloted at five institutions. Fellows completed surveys, and fellows and educators participated in focus groups after their FC experiences.

RESULTS

Thirty-five fellows responded to the survey. Forty-one fellows and six educators participated in focus groups. Fellows and educators preferred online videos paired with FCs over didactic teaching and perceived them to be effective for knowledge acquisition and application.

CONCLUSION

Fellows and educators preferred FC learning over traditional didactics and reported that FCs facilitated creation of a learning community, fostering active learning. The favorable response toward this pilot project and the feasibility of its use supports further development of a standardized NPM physiology curriculum for fellowship training.

Structural Changes in Silicon Rubber Peritoneal Dialysis Catheters in Patients using Mupirocin at the Exit Site

Structural damage to polyurethane PD (peritoneal dialysis) catheters in patients using mupirocin ointment is widely appreciated, but damage to silicon rubber PD catheters is less well described. Ten catheters (6.6%) out of 152 were found to have structural alterations such as opacification, ballooning, thinning, and rupture. The duration of PD in these 10 patients ranged from 23 months to 80 months (mean duration 51.1 months). The frequency of mupirocin application varied from daily (2 cases) to 2-3 times per week (7 cases). In eight catheters opacification occurred at the exit site whereas one catheter showed opacification midway between the exit site and the titanium adaptor. One catheter showed opacification, ballooning, and thinning at the exit site ruptured in the form of two slit-like openings. In conclusion, various structural changes such as opacification, ballooning or thinning were seen in 6.6% of silicon rubber PD catheters in patients using mupirocin at the exit site. Although the mechanism remains elusive, mupirocin or the antiseptic solution alone or in combination may be contributory. We believe that this is an under-reported complication and encourage other health care givers to incorporate a search for such changes during clinic visits.

Outcome of Pseudomonas aeruginosa exit-site and tunnel infections: a single center's experience

We reviewed the course and outcome of all Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) exit-site and tunnel infections (ESI/TI) that occurred at our home peritoneal dialysis (PD) unit over a 3-year period (July 1995 to June 1998). We documented PA ESI/TI in 19 out of a total of 467 patients. Of the 19 patients, 12 having local redness and tenderness but no discharge were treated conservatively with increased frequency of dressing with or without hydrogen peroxide locally. Of the 12 cases receiving local care, 7 resolved without recurrence over 14.4 months follow-up, while the remaining 5 developed persistent ESI/TI with discharge and required treatment with antibiotics. Seven more patients who initially presented with purulent discharge also received systemic antibiotics. Only 1 of the 12 patients with PA ESI/TI treated with antibiotics resolved; the remaining 11 patients developed PA peritonitis over a 1-month to 7-month period after the initial PA ESI/TI. In 2 of these 11 patients, simultaneous PD catheter removal and replacement was attempted for the treatment of PA ESI/TI, but these patients also developed PA peritonitis 1-3 weeks after the procedure. Of the 11 patients with PA peritonitis associated with PA ESI/TI, 1 died, 6 were transferred to permanent hemodialysis, and just 4 continued PD after PD catheter replacement. Though not frequent, PA ESI/TI is still a serious complication of home PD at our unit, resulting in ESI/TI-related PA peritonitis and catheter loss in 58% of cases. Local treatment of mild PA ESI/TI (redness and induration) seems to be effective. On the other hand, patients with purulent discharge are likely to develop peritonitis and technique failure despite antibiotic therapy. Early catheter replacement can be considered in these cases.

Tidal volume peritoneal dialysis versus intermittent peritoneal dialysis

In a 12-week crossover study we assessed the effect of tidal volume peritoneal dialysis (TVPD) on serum chemistry, patient well-being, appetite and sleep, blood pressure, and body weight period and compared it with the effect of intermittent peritoneal dialysis (IPD) on these same parameters over a similar period. We used similar volumes of dialysis solutions per exchange and session, and the exchanges were of the same duration in each session. There were 12 patients (6 males, 6 females) with a mean age of 76 years (range 61-88 years), and mean duration of peritoneal dialysis 49 months (range 20-148 months). Five patients started with TVPD and switched to IPD after 3 months; the remaining 7 patients started with IPD and switched to TVPD for the next 3 months. No differences were seen between TVPD and IPD in any of the measured parameters: body weight, appetite, sleep, and well-being by self-assessment, number of transfusions, and complications related to peritoneal dialysis. There were two episodes of peritonitis during the TVPD period and none during the IPD period. Our data indicate that TVPD and IPD are equally effective when applied over similar durations and with similar volumes of dialysis solutions in each session. The improved results with TVPD that others have reported probably can be explained by the use of higher volumes of dialysate.

Genital swelling as a surgical complication of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis

Genital edema was seen as a complication of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) in 18 patients, who accounted for 4 per cent of all patients on CAPD. In the majority of patients, the swelling developed suddenly and painlessly in the scrotum, penis or labia majora. Some of the patients noticed ultrafiltration failure. In the majority of these patients, this was a result of fluid leakage through the patent processus vaginalis. In one female patient, fluid leaked through the implantation site of the catheter. A computed tomographic scan using contrast media is a useful diagnostic tool in identifying the side of the defect in patients with generalized scrotal or penile edema. Surgical repair of the hernia and the hole in the processus vaginalis or hernia sac prevented recurrence. A trial of temporary discontinuation of CAPD or intermittent peritoneal dialysis using small volumes of dialysis fluid prevented recurrence while reinstituting CAPD in patients with normal findings from contrast studies. Intermittent peritoneal dialysis using low volumes of dialysis fluid with stepwise increase prevented recurrence while reinstituting CAPD two to three weeks after surgical repair.

Influence of exchange volume and dialysate flow rate on solute clearance in peritoneal dialysis

To find the ideal dialysate flow rate and exchange volume for use in long-term peritoneal dialysis, 10 patients were studied over a period of 1.5 yr. Exchange volumes of 1 or 2 liters and dialysate flow rates of 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 liters/hr were tested. Dextrose concentration remained constant at 1.5 g/100 ml. Peritoneal clearances for BUN, creatinine, and uric acid were calculated at 2, 5, 10, 15, and 20 hr during dialysis making a total of 120 clearances for each patient. All patients used a reverse osmosis automatic machine. The clearance of all three solutes tended to be higher with exchange volumes of 2 liters than they did with 1 liter; this trend was significant for BUN (P less than 0.025) and uric acid (P less than 0.025) but not for creatinine. There was a significant rise in clearance with increasing flow rates per hour for all solutes as shown in the following table. (Formula: see text), Since patients could not tolerate a flow rate of 6 liters/hr, we conclude that flow rate of 4 liters/hr with a 2-liter exchange will give maximum efficiency.