Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Inpatient Pediatric Medical Student Education in Hawai'i.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had many effects on medical student education, ranging from safety measures limiting patient exposure to changes in patient diagnoses encountered by medical students in their clerkship experience. This study aimed to identify the impact of the pandemic on the inpatient experiences of third- and fourth-year medical students by assessing patient volumes and diagnoses seen by students. Frequency and types of notes written by medical students on hospital-based pediatric rotations at Kapi'olani Medical Center for Women and Children as well as patient diagnoses and ages were compared between 2 time periods: pre-pandemic (July 2018-February 2020) and pandemic (May 2020-September 2021). On average, the number of patients seen by medical students was significantly reduced in the pandemic period from 112 patients/month to 88 patients/month (P=.041). The proportion of patients with bronchiolitis or pneumonia were also significantly reduced in the pandemic period (P<.001). Bronchiolitis was diagnosed in 1.3% of patients seen by medical students during the pandemic period, compared with 5.9% of patients pre-pandemic. Pneumonia was diagnosed in 1.0% of patients seen by medical students in the pandemic period compared with 4.6% pre-pandemic. There was no significant difference in patient age between the 2 groups (P=.092). During the first 18 months of the COVID-19 pandemic, medical students in this institution had a remarkably different inpatient experience from that of their predecessors. They saw fewer patients, and those patients had fewer common pediatric respiratory diseases. These decreases suggest these students may require supplemental education to compensate for these gaps in direct pediatric clinical experience.

Paediatric resident workflow observations in a community-based hospital.

OBJECTIVE: Residency graduates need to demonstrate competence in prioritising safe patient care through appropriate management of multiple competing tasks and workflow interruptions. This pilot study aimed to characterise and correlate interruptions in paediatric resident workflow at an academically affiliated, community-based hospital. METHODS: One of three trained observers followed a resident physician during a convenience sample of 1-2 hour increments, either in the emergency department or on the wards, and recorded all observed activities and interruptions using an established time-motion tool. All participants completed a baseline Multi-Tasking Ability Test (MTAT) and pre-observation and post-observation surveys. Statistical approach included descriptive statistics, logistic regression, mixed model and ORs. RESULTS: 18 paediatric residents were observed for 57.5 total hours (an average of 3.2 hours/resident) which included 329 interruptions, defined as any external event drawing the resident's attention away from a primary task. Interruptions occurred an average of 5.9 times per resident per hour. Interrupted primary tasks were not resumed during the observation period 11% of the time. A personal/social-related interruption yielded an OR of 0.29 that the resident will return to a primary task within 5 min (p=0.007) when compared with patient-related verbal interruptions by the medical team. The MTAT Score indicated decreased efficiency for interns versus postgraduate year 2 residents (p=0.029). Residents' MTAT Scores did not correlate with their time to return to a primary task following an interruption (p=0.11). CONCLUSIONS: Paediatric resident workflow interruptions in the hospital were observed to occur frequently and should be expected. Personal/social interruptions were most likely to delay prompt return to a primary task. The MTAT Score, although improved between the first 2 years of residency training, did not correlate with efficient return to a primary task. Interruption management and mitigation strategies should be developed as part of a standardised residency task management curriculum.

Patient Safety Initiative Using Peer Observations and Feedback Inspire Collegial Workplace Culture.

Following Joint Commission recommendations for standardizing patient handoffs, direct peer observations and feedback were utilized in order to improve patient safety related to transitions of care in the Division of Pediatric Hospital Medicine at Kapi'olani Medical Center for Women & Children. All hospitalist attendings were trained in an evidence-based handoff bundle inclusive of team communication and feedback strategies. For the initial project, each hospitalist performed 12 peer observations and feedback sessions using validated tools for verbal and written handoffs over 6 months. For a subsequent "refresher" project, each hospitalist performed 6 handoff observations. Attendings were surveyed several times before, during, and after completion of the multiple iterations of the project. A qualitative interview was conducted 6 years after the initial handoff project. In total, 204 observations were completed by 17 hospitalists during the initial project. The perceived overall quality of the patient handoff improved significantly across shifts (P < .001 for the quality of each of two critical daily handoffs) as did pediatric hospitalists' confidence in providing peer feedback (P < .001). Downstream effects of this activity led to additional benefits towards the cohesive growth of the division. Themes from post-project qualitative interviews regarding the peer observation and feedback portion of the study included that it was "helpful," "collaborative," and inspired "camaraderie" that led to increased comfort and participation during future opportunities for observation and feedback. Performing direct peer observations with feedback strengthened the workplace culture, promoted growth through collaboration, and allowed acceptance and success of future projects involving peer observations and feedback.

Atrial fibrillation in healthy adolescents after highly caffeinated beverage consumption: two case reports.

INTRODUCTION: Energy drinks and highly caffeinated drinks comprise some of the fastest growing products of the beverage industry, often targeting teenagers and young adults. Cardiac arrhythmias in children related to high caffeine consumption have not been well described in the literature. This case series describes the possible association between the consumption of highly caffeinated drinks and the subsequent development of atrial fibrillation in the adolescent population. CASE PRESENTATIONS: We report the cases of two Caucasian adolescent boys of 14 and 16 years of age at the time of presentation, each without a significant cardiac history, who presented with palpitations or vague chest discomfort or both after a recent history of excessive caffeine consumption. Both were found to have atrial fibrillation on electrocardiogram; one patient required digoxin to restore a normal sinus rhythm, and the other self-converted after intravenous fluid administration. CONCLUSION: With the increasing popularity of energy drinks in the pediatric and adolescent population, physicians should be aware of the arrhythmogenic potential associated with highly caffeinated beverage consumption. It is important for pediatricians to understand the lack of regulation in the caffeine content and other ingredients of these high-energy beverages and their complications so that parents and children can be educated about the risk of cardiac arrhythmias with excessive energy drink consumption.