Training the Future Pediatric Workforce to Implement Best Practices for ASD Within Primary Care
Abstract
This proposal is entitled, Training the Future Pediatric Workforce to Implement Best Practices for ASD within Primary Care and will focus on training medical residents to better support patients with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their families. Our team has designed an innovative training system that links and measures asynchronous training to practice change within a resident’s continuity clinic. This system—ASD in Primary Care Education (ASD-PRIME)—was designed to meet established historical training needs of pediatric residency programs, which are often severely lacking in appropriate training for future primary care providers (PCPs), especially surrounding appropriate care coordination and transition-age guidance and resources. This project addresses multiple FY22 ARP Idea Development Award Areas of Interest including (1) development of healthcare provider-focused training/tools to improve healthcare delivery for individuals with ASD across the lifespan and continuum of care, (2) creating tools/strategies to increase the speed with which evidence-based practices are deployed in community-based settings, and 3) factors promoting success in key transitions to independence for individuals living with ASD. This project is innovative because it provides a novel system to both guide and measure practice change. This includes focal training for residents during rotations focused on developmental/behavioral concerns, as well as practice guides embedded within the electronic health record (EHR). The asynchronous modules include targeted practice behavior targets that are linked to clinical decision-making guides available for residents during their appointments with patients with ASD. These practice behavior targets and clinical guides (checklists) will be designed using stakeholder-informed focus groups. By leveraging the EHR, we are also able to track specific practice behaviors and documentation related to ASD care. We will then be able to specifically link these expected changes to family outcomes such as service access and an ability to navigate and access resources. Approximately one in five children living in poverty in the U.S. receives care in a resident continuity clinic. As such, deploying novel programs to promote provider competence and ASD-related practice ownership for residents could dramatically and directly enhance care for families disproportionately affected by service delays, while creating a workforce capable of carrying best practices forward to other community systems of care. At minimum, an embedded, dynamic, training system can support pediatric physicians leaving their residencies with an enhanced competency in effectively communicating with families and other providers and implementing best practices for ASD throughout the continuum of care. Once we establish this impact within our own training program, we intend to package, disseminate, and test the system across other training programs. Widescale examination of this program’s impact on future and long-term practice change for PCPs is critically important to the long-term success, happiness, and wellbeing of children and adults with ASD and their families.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Jan 04, 2024
- Source ID
- HT94252310668
Entities
People
- Jeffrey Hine
Organizations
- United States Army
- Vanderbilt University