Developing a Longitudinal Advocacy Curriculum for a Pediatrics Residency Program
Abstract
Introduction: Advocacy is a crucial aspect of pediatric medicine, and children depend on adults to represent their needs. Pediatricians play a vital role in advocating for their young patients, making the development of advocacy skills essential during their training. In addition, the ACGME (Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education) has developed new requirements for advocacy in pediatric training. This study aims to review current approaches to advocacy training in pediatric residency programs and identify gaps to help inform the creation of a comprehensive longitudinal advocacy curriculum at Eastern Virginia Medical School.
Methods: A literature review was conducted using AAMC's MedEdPortal and Google Scholar to identify existing advocacy curricula in pediatric residency programs. The review focused on curriculum formats, content topics, educational strategies, and methods of curriculum evaluation. Kern's 6 steps of curriculum development were used as a framework to help guide the review.
Results: Eleven advocacy curricula of varying durations were identified: 5 were month-long, 2 ranged from 8 to 9 months, 1 was of unspecified length, and 2 were longitudinal. The longitudinal programs were described, however detailed curriculum materials were not published. Didactics and workshops were the most common components (9 out of 11), while 5 curricula included independent advocacy projects. Legislative experiences were also included in 5 curricula. Frequent topics mentioned included knowledge of current issues in healthcare, knowledge of the legislation process, and identification of community resources. Residents frequently cited time constraints as a significant challenge. The most common method of curriculum evaluation consisted of pre- and post- curriculum surveys.
Conclusion: Although several advocacy curricula exist, there continues to be a lack of a standardized longitudinal curriculum spanning all years of residency. Using insights from existing models and employing Kern's 6 steps of curriculum development, an advocacy curriculum is being developed and implemented at EVMS. It will include workshops and independent advocacy projects with community partners. It will focus on bedside, community, state, and federal advocacy efforts. This curriculum will help residents gain skills to become successful physician advocates and enhance preparedness for addressing systemic healthcare challenges.