Pediatric residency program handover: before and after the ACGME requirement.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Pediatric Residency Training
• Patient Safety

Background:

• The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) mandated monitoring safe handover practices in July 2011.
• Effective patient handovers are crucial for patient safety and continuity of care in pediatric residency programs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess changes in pediatric residency programs' handover education and assessment post-ACGME mandate.
• To identify persistent challenges in handover practices.

Main Methods:

• Surveys were distributed to pediatric program directors across the United States at two time points.
• Data collected included program demographics, handover curricula, teaching methods, and perceived barriers.

Main Results:

• Post-mandate, only one-third of programs had a formal handover curriculum with goals and assessments.
• A significant increase in role modeling as the primary handover teaching method was observed (66% to 82%).
• Lack of feedback and interruptions were consistently identified as major barriers.

Conclusions:

• Pediatric residency programs require enhanced handover curricula with didactic and practical elements, alongside robust assessment tools.
• Addressing barriers like inadequate feedback and frequent interruptions is essential for improving handover quality.
• Faculty engagement and targeted training in effective role-modeling techniques are needed to ensure long-term success in handover education.