Pediatric resident and faculty knowledge of the Denver II

To assess knowledge of the Denver II, the revised developmental screening tool recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics, in residents and faculty, and to evaluate a teaching intervention for incoming postgraduate year 1 (PGY-1) trainees.

A cross-sectional test of knowledge for all subjects and pretesting and posttesting of the incoming PGY- 1 trainees.

University of Texas-Houston Medical School Department of Pediatrics.

Faculty (n = 9) and residents (n = 78), including an intervention group (n = 45), of incoming PGY-1 trainees over 2 years.

Postgraduate year 1 trainees in both 1994 through 1995 and 1995 through 1996 viewed the Denver II training videotape on entry into a continuity clinic. Trainees were encouraged to perform Denver II evaluations on at least 1 appropriate patient at each pediatric clinic session and had access to Denver II support materials.

Scores on the Denver II Proficiency Written Test, self-reported measures of comfort, and number of Denver II evaluations performed.

The mean (SD) test scores for incoming, preintervention PGY-1 trainees (n = 45) (41.3 [9.6]) did not differ from scores for outgoing PGY-1 trainees (n = 13) (38.5 [10.4]) who had not received the intervention. Postintervention PGY-1 test results were significantly improved (59.4 [10.6]) (P<.001). Test scores for upper-level residents who had participated in the developmental pediatrics rotation (n = 14) were better (55.3 [9.31), but all scored below passing. Residents who had not yet participated in the developmental pediatrics rotation (n = 19) and members of the general pediatric faculty (n = 9) had scores similar to those of PGY-1 trainees (40.9 [13.4] and 39.0 [15.1], respectively).

Residents had a greater knowledge of the Denver II after completing a developmental pediatrics rotation. Our intervention produced significant improvement in PGY-1 trainees' knowledge, raising it to levels similar to those of upper-level residents exposed to developmental pediatrics. Faculty were not expert in using the Denver II.