The Educational Status in Emergency Medicine Residency Training and Development of the Curriculum for Pediatric Emergency Medicine

Abstract

Purpose: Approximately 29% of patients visiting the emergency department are children and teens. Training emergency medicine (EM) residents for treatment of pediatric emergency patients is essential. We conducted a survey of the status of pediatric emergency medicine (PEM) education and made recommendations with regard to the direction of educational programs for PEM using the Delphi method. Methods: We conducted a survey of 93 emergency medicine training hospitals and conducted the Delphi study with the first and second round. Variables of educational status included general information on the hospital, educational contents, and method for PEM. The Delphi method was used to obtain the consensus of experts with regard to which objectives, essential procedures, and necessary components for PEM training should be included. Results: The rate of response for PEM educational status was 60(62.4%). The type of pediatric department rotation was essential 40.5%, optional 21.4%, and no rotation 38.1%. Capability of EM residents was 33.3% in PEM objectives and 45% in PEM procedures. Each rate of response for the Delphi study was 65% in the first round and 56.9% in the second round. We obtained the consensus of experts, with 52 of 59 objectives and 18 of 20 procedures. The appropriate period for pediatric emergency rotation was three months and the appropriate staff members for pediatric emergency education were the pediatric emergency physician, pediatric physician, and emergency physician, in order. Conclusion: Pediatric emergency training was not appropriate for an EM residency program. Experts agreed with 52 objectives and 18 procedures for PEM training of EM residents. We recommended a training period of three months and the appropriate staff member for PEM was the pediatric emergency physician.