Adding ‘Value’ to Pediatric Residents’ High-Value Care Education: A Focus Group Assessment

Background Despite pediatric medical graduate educational requirements around High Value Care (HVC), data suggests that most pediatric training programs lack a formal curriculum and trainees express dissatisfaction with current HVC education. This study aims to better understand pediatric residents’ HVC educational experiences, learning needs, and preferred educational approaches for HVC curriculum design. Methods The study used an anonymous, focus group, convenience sampling design, using a semi-structured question guide, of 2022–2023 academic-year targeted pediatric and medicine-pediatric resident participants at a tertiary-care children’s hospital to explore residents’ HVC perceptions, learning experiences, preferred curriculum topics and teaching methods. Results A total of 23 pediatric, medicine-pediatric, and rotating transitional/visiting residents participated, resulting in a 57% adjusted participation rate among targeted pediatric and medicine-pediatric residents. Residents identified pediatric HVC education as needing a greater family-focus. Greater emphasis on costs, economic assessment, contributing social and systems-based factors, and balancing HVC’s more relative elements were also desired in a curriculum. Simulated patients, family feedback, computerized cognitive-based testing, and shadowing were suggested as learning approaches, which residents specifically tied to certain learning topics. Direct observation with feedback during patient care encounters was suggested as a useful practiced-based performance measure of HVC learning. Conclusions Residents identified additional learning objectives, emphases, and evaluation approaches beyond those currently addressed in most pediatric HVC curricula that should be considered when building a pediatric HVC curriculum.