Pediatric Content Delivery: The How, When, and Who of Current Teaching in DPT Programs
Purpose: To describe the current state of delivery for pediatric content within entry-level DPT programs. To compare the integrated versus the stand-alone models and explore the relationship between delivery models and other factors that influence teaching and learning.Methods and/or Description of Project: This session will introduce the work of the Pediatric Content Delivery Task Force (Academic and Clinical Educators SIG, Academy of Pediatrics, APTA), a three phase project designed to explore the differences between integrated and stand-alone delivery models. The session will introduce all three phases of the study: the initial survey, and two qualitative follow-up studies, then focus on the results of the first round (a questionnaire with 147 respondents, pediatric faculty from roughly 60% of all accredited DPT programs). Questions asked include: 1. How is content delivered: Stand-alone course or integrated? 2. When within the program is the pediatric content taught? 3. How much time is devoted to pediatric content including "hands-on" time? 4. Who delivers the pediatric content? 5. Are we using The Essential Competencies and other resources to develop pediatric curriculum? 6. What types of community-based activities and resources are available? 7. What is working well and what are common obstacles?Results/Outcomes: Pediatric faculty members from all but two of the accredited DPT Programs in the U.S. were identified and invited to take part in the survey. There was a response rate of nearly 60%. Of those that responded, about 75% taught pediatric content mostly via a stand-alone course, 20% had it integrated throughout the curriculum, and 5% taught it as units within a few courses. On average, DPT Programs included 97 hours of instruction on pediatrics within the entire program, not including electives. These hours included nearly 30 hours of “hands-on” instruction, on average. There was huge variation in the timing but the most common answer for the bulk of the pediatric content was delivery in spring semester of the second year. 74% of programs had instructors with a PCS. Only 60% of programs had a faculty member with a terminal degree teaching or helping to teach pediatric content. 88% reported that the Essential Competencies were used to develop or review pediatric content within the curriculum. Relationships between the delivery model and other variables were explored. Ideas for use of resources, areas to include in content, and critical reviews of the courses were also included in the results.Conclusions/Relevance to the conference theme: Our Leadership Landscape: Perspectives from the Ground Level to 30,000 Feet: This study is all about advancing PT education in the area of pediatrics. Pediatrics is a relatively small area of practice within the whole scope of physical therapy. Pediatric content is often delivered in a separate course, out on an island of its own. Some new curricular models, in an attempt to be more comprehensive and inclusive, promote integration of pediatric content into the curriculum as a whole, bringing it onto the mainland and scattering it among the hills and dales of the rest of the coursework. Pediatric faculty question whether or not this is better. Does integration promote carryover of skills to pediatric patient care if introduced within the greater context? Do students more readily embrace their role in treating children even if that is not their preferred career focus? Or does integration push pediatrics into the valleys where it is overshadowed by adult-oriented content and lost in the uneven terrain of the curriculum? The aim of the first round is to provide information at ground level in order to determine the current practice and to explore relationships with other variables. From this foundational material, the subsequent studies will be able to reach new heights in understanding of the influence of delivery method on learning. This series of studies will improve education of entry-level PTs, preparing them to take on the role of treating the youngest and most vulnerable patient population, who deserve equity and access to the best care possible.References: Chapman DD, Sellheim DO. Assessment of teaching and learning activities in pediatric physical therapy: factors influencing knowledge development and confidence. Journal, physical therapy education. 2017;31(2):108-118. Rapport MJ, Furze J. Editorial: stepping OUT in educational research: pediatric physical therapy education has learned to walk. Journal, physical therapy education. 2017;31(2):95-96. Rapport MJ, Furze J, Martin K, et al. Essential competencies in entry-level pediatric physical therapy education. Pediatric physical therapy: the official publication of the section on pediatrics of the american physical therapy association. 2014;26(1):7-18. doi:10.1097/PEP.0000000000000003. Schreiber J, Goodgold S, Moerchen VA, Remec N, Aaron C, Kreger A. A description of professional pediatric physical therapy education. Pediatric physical therapy: the official publication of the section on pediatrics of the american physical therapy association. 2011;23(2):201-204. doi:10.1097/PEP.0b013e318218f2fe. Wynarczuk KD, Pelletier ES. Use of academic-Community partnerships in teaching pediatric physical therapy. Journal, physical therapy education. 2017;31(2):150-157.Course Objectives: By the completion of the session, the learner will be able to: 1. Examine the current models of pediatric content delivery 2. Identify facilitators and barriers involved in each model 3. Identify potential community resources to be used for augmenting instruction of pediatric content 4. Critique one’s own model of delivery compared to baseline information provided by this study 5. Create a community of collaboration among Pediatric DPT educatorsInstructional Methods: Panel presentation - powerpoint Small group discussions (specific topics) Large group discussion (content delivery models in general)Tentative Outline/Schedule: Introduction of task force and overview of series: 10 minutes Exploration of some of the descriptive variables surrounding content delivery (model, time, timing, personnel): 30 minutes Presentation of ideas currently being used by instructors (resources, strategies, positives/negatives) with discussion from audience after each topic: 45 minutes Wrap-up: 5 minute