Abstract

“Hassan A, Bridgemohan C, Harris SK, Sherritt L, VanHook S, Knight J*, Emans SJ*. Pedicases – A Web-Based Curriculum for Pediatric Providers: Who Uses it and For What? Presented at the annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies, Boston MA, 2012. Poster Presentation. “

Abstract

Background: The Pedicases website (www.pedicases.org) was launched in 2000 to provide a free standardized case-based curriculum incorporating Bright Futures health supervision guidelines. Over 30 modules covering child growth, development, behavior, and adolescent medicine were offered.

Objective: To assess pedicases.org usage patterns over the previous decade.

Design/Methods: We exported user profile and utilization data from the website data registry. Users were characterized by discipline, years of training, and geographic location, and curriculum utilization by numbers and types of topics downloaded. We used Chi square and Kruskal-Wallis tests to compare usage patterns across types of users.

Results: Between March 2000-November 2010, 6078 unique users downloaded materials. 30% of users self-identified themselves as staff physicians and 28% as medical trainees. The remainder reflected multiple disciplines (nurses, nurse practitioners, mental health professionals, and other health educators). 45% of users had completed professional training within the previous 5 years and 62% within 10. Although 3 of 4 users hailed from the US with the largest numbers from the Mid-West and Mid-Atlantic regions, over 130 countries were represented. A total of 28,075 cases were downloaded with a mean of 4.6(SD 8.2) per user. The most frequently accessed module was child development (Down syndrome, global delay, language delay, and normal versus abnormal development), comprising 19% of all downloads. Cases involving child and adolescent growth and school issues (ADHD, learning disorders, and school readiness) were also frequently accessed (15% and 12% respectively). Among the adolescent-specific modules, mental health (anorexia nervosa, substance use, and depression) accounted for the highest number of downloads. Users who had been out of training longer (p<.001) and international users (p=.019) tended to download more cases. Although the materials were originally targeted primarily for teaching residents, just under two-thirds (62%) of cases were downloaded for self-education purposes. Conclusions: The Pedicases online curriculum was accessed by users from a wide variety of backgrounds for both education as well as trainee teaching. Child development, growth, and adolescent mental health are particular areas of interest. A comprehensive web-based education platform has the potential to enhance pediatric medicine worldwide.