Pediatric faculty development in integrative medicine

As more patients use complementary and alternative medical (CAM) therapies, faculty may be asked to teach trainees about topics requiring faculty development training. Our purpose in this study was to evaluate qualitatively and quantitatively a new faculty development program covering 4 key areas of CAM: herbs and dietary supplements, mind-body therapies, massage, and acupuncture. Faculty members (N = 6) volunteered for the program and were included in the study if they completed at least 3 of the 6 scheduled sessions. For each session, participants completed a pretest evaluating their knowledge and confidence about the topic, then they received background reading and focused discussion questions. Each session was a case-based, experiential seminar led by an expert in the content area. Participants completed post-session questionnaires measuring knowledge, confidence, and communication practices at the end of each session and at the end of the series of seminars. They also were asked for feedback and suggestions for the following year. All participants strongly agreed that they gained important knowledge; scores on tests about herbs increased from 62% at baseline to 84% at completion, and scores on knowledge of acupuncture increased from 60% before the session to 98% after. All participants strongly agreed that their confidence in talking with patients, colleagues, and trainees improved; on average, confidence scores improved an average of 1.8 out of a total of 5 possible points for all topics. Participants more frequently asked patients about their use of herbs (from 50% at baseline to 75% at the end) and increased the percentage of training encounters in which they discussed CAM with trainees or colleagues from 10% to 25%. We concluded that faculty development in integrative medicine is feasible and results in qualitative and quantitative improvements in knowledge, confidence, and clinical and teaching behaviors.