Long-term pediatrician outcomes of a parent led curriculum in developmental disabilities

Previous research has demonstrated high satisfaction and perceived relevance of Project DOCC (Delivery of Chronic Care), a parent led curriculum in developmental disabilities, across a sample of medical residents.

The influence of such a training program on the clinical practices and professional activities of these residents once they are established in their careers as physicians, however, has not been studied; this was the aim of the present study.

An anonymous follow-up survey was designed and disseminated to physicians who participated in Project DOCC during their one-month developmental disabilities rotation as part of their pediatrics or medicine/pediatric residency between 2002 and 2010. Fifty-eight physicians completed the survey.

The findings suggest that participation in a parent led curriculum during medical residency had a lasting impact on physicians' relationships with families. Specifically, a majority of the physicians espoused a family-centered approach to care, a sensitivity to the interactional effect that caring for a Child with Special Health Care Needs (CSHCN) has on family members, the need for physicians to have a prominent role in community resource coordination, and the importance of an integrated approach to health care provision.

Use of a parent led curriculum as a means to increase the provision of family-centered care by physicians is supported.