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Management of referral and consultation is an entrustable professional activity for pediatric residents; however, few tools exist to teach these skills. We designed and implemented tools to prompt discussion, feedback, and reflection about the process of referral, notably including the family's perspective., (Copyright © 2018 Academic Pediatric Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Quality improvement (QI) activities are required to maintain board certification in pediatrics. However, because of lack of training and resources, pediatricians may feel overwhelmed by the need to implement QI activities. Pediatricians also face challenges when caring for overweight and obese children., Objective: To create a virtual (online) QI learning collaborative through which pediatric practices could easily develop and implement a continuous QI process., Design: Prospective cohort., Participants: Pediatric practices that were part of the Children's National Health Network were invited to participate, with the option to receive continuing medical education and maintenance of certification credits., Intervention: s) Practices conducted baseline and monthly chart audits, participated in educational webinars and selected monthly practice changes, using Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles. Practices reported activities monthly and periodic feedback was provided to practices about their performance., Main Outcome Measure: s) Improvement in (i) body mass index (BMI) percentile documentation, (ii) appropriate nutritional and activity counseling and (iii) follow-up management for high-risk patients., Results: Twenty-nine practices (120 providers) participated, and 24 practices completed all program activities. Monthly chart audits demonstrated continuous improvement in documentation of BMI, abnormal weight diagnosis, nutrition and activity screening and counseling, weight-related health messages and follow-up management of overweight and obese patients. Impact of QI activities on visit duration and practice efficiency was minimal., Conclusion: A virtual learning collaborative was successful in providing a framework for pediatricians to implement a continuous QI process and achieve practice improvements. This format can be utilized to address multiple health issues.

Objective: To assess the feasibility of a new multi-institutional program of direct observation and report what faculty observed and the feedback they provided., Methods: A program of direct observation of real patient encounters was implemented in 3 pediatric residency programs using a structured clinical observation (SCO) form to document what was observed and the feedback given. Outcome variables included the number of observations made, the nature of the feedback provided, resident attitudes about direct observation before and after implementation, and the response of the faculty., Results: Seventy-nine preceptors and 145 residents participated; 320 SCO forms were completed. Faculty provided feedback in 4 areas: content, process of the encounter, patient-centered attitudes and behaviors, and interpersonal skills. Feedback was 85% specific and 41% corrective. Corrective feedback was most frequent for physical examination skills. After program implementation, residents reported an increase in feedback and a decrease in discomfort with direct observation; in addition, they agreed that direct observation was a valuable component of their education. Participation rates among faculty were high., Conclusions: Direct observation using SCOs results in timely and specific feedback to residents about behaviors rarely observed in traditional precepting models. Resident competency in these clinical skill domains is critical for assessing, diagnosing, and managing patients. The SCO methodology is a feasible way to provide formative feedback to residents about their clinical skills., (Copyright © 2011 Academic Pediatric Association. All rights reserved.)

In this paper, we describe the faculty development resources, structures, and processes utilized to promote educational scholarship in a department of pediatrics. We discuss a 5-year effort based on the strategy of forming an "academy" of educational scholars and resulting in significant increases in peer-reviewed conference presentations and paper and abstract publications. In addition, we highlight actions embedding a culture that supports and rewards educational scholarship. The general approach, as well as the specific activities undertaken, may provide a model for others involved in faculty development to enhance scholarly productivity.