P0065 - Assessing Education and Training of Developmental Screening Tools Among Residents in a Southern Academic Medical Center

Background: Developmental disabilities in children are common, and early identification is a critical component promoting long-term success. Many standardized developmental screening tools have been developed to aid clinicians in monitoring children’s developmental progress. Developmental screening tools are core clinical practice, yet a large percent of pediatricians still do not implement these into clinical practice. Mississippi has been found to have the lowest rate of developmental screening. We aimed to identify possible modifiable targets within resident training experiences that may produce greater use of developmental screening tools.

Methods: Through a quality improvement project, a 17-question survey was sent to residents (N=93) in pediatrics (n=47), combined medicine-pediatrics (n=16), and family medicine (n=30). The survey assessed training, attitudes, practices, and perceived barriers regarding using developmental screening tools in clinical practice.

Results: Fifty-seven responses (62%) were returned. Approximately 70% of residents reported using developmental screening tools at well-child visits as part of developmental monitoring. Fifty-two percent of residents reported receiving any prior training in using standardized developmental screening tools in clinical practice. While 24.6% answered ‘No’, a substantial 22.8% were ’Unsure’ about having received training. Overall, resident comfort with the screening processes declined from implementation to administrative aspects of screening. The most frequently reported barriers to use of developmental screening tools were time and lack of knowledge/training. Factors associated with increased reported comfort levels with both administering and interpreting results of screening tools included a resident familiarity with the tool, receiving training while in residency, and an intent to specialize after residency.

Conclusion: Residents at this institution are using developmental screening tools at a higher rate than the reported state average; however, there is still confusion as to what receiving formal training on the use of these tools looks like. Results identify clear modifiable targets for educating residents in use and comfort with developmental screening tools. Barriers identified also mirror prior American Academy of Pediatrics physician surveys, suggesting negative attitudes for some are developed prior to entry to the workforce.