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Pediatric Infectious Diseases Fellowship Training in Healthcare Epidemiology A National Needs Assessment

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

Thomas J. Sandora ,
Jennifer C. Esbenshade ,
Kristina A. Bryant  and
on behalf of the Pediatric Leadership Council of SHEA
Thomas J. Sandora*
Affiliation:
Division of Infectious Diseases, Departments of Medicine and Laboratory Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
Jennifer C. Esbenshade
Affiliation:
Department of Pediatrics, Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt, Nashville, Tennessee
Kristina A. Bryant
Affiliation:
Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky
*
Boston Children's Hospital, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115 (thomas.sandora@childrens.harvard.edu)
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Abstract

Objective.

Pediatric infectious diseases (ID) fellows are required to receive training in hospital epidemiology and infection control and prevention. We sought to assess the current state of healthcare epidemiology training for fellows and to determine which topics are considered important by key stakeholders.

Participants.

US pediatric ID fellowship program directors and hospital epidemiologists.

Methods.

We conducted an anonymous Web-based survey in February 2012. We assessed the presence and content of curricula, perceived importance of specific topics, and barriers to career development.

Results.

Of 97 eligible participants, 76 (78%) completed the survey, representing 54 programs. Respondents were program directors (60%), hospital epidemiologists (25%), or both (15%). A total of 82% of programs with didactic curricula have infection control sessions, most commonly 1–2 hours in total duration. Of 17 identified topics, only 3 were covered by more than 50% of programs: isolation precautions (54%), central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI; 53%), and hand hygiene (51%). Of the 76 respondents, 35% indicated that fellows participate in a dedicated infection control rotation. Six topics were considered very important by more than 75% of respondents: antimicrobial stewardship (94%), isolation precautions (93%), hand hygiene (90%), CLABSI (90%), surveillance for resistant bacteria (81%), and communicable disease exposure management (81%).

Conclusions.

Pediatric ID fellowship programs dedicate little time to didactic or experiential learning in healthcare epidemiology. There are a wide array of topics that the majority of programs do not cover, including several subjects that are considered to be very important by program directors and hospital epidemiologists. Creating a standardized pediatric infection control curriculum would likely benefit fellows in training.

Type
Original Articles
Information
Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology , Volume 34 , Issue 2 , February 2013 , pp. 195 - 199
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America 2013 

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References

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