title: Pediatric infectious diseases fellowship training in healthcare epidemiology: a national needs assessment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Pediatric infectious diseases (ID) fellows are required to receive training in hospital epidemiology and infection control and prevention. We sought to assess the current state of healthcare epidemiology training for fellows and to determine which topics are considered important by key stakeholders.
  
  
  METHODS
  US pediatric ID fellowship program directors and hospital epidemiologists.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted an anonymous Web-based survey in February 2012. We assessed the presence and content of curricula, perceived importance of specific topics, and barriers to career development.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 97 eligible participants, 76 (78%) completed the survey, representing 54 programs. Respondents were program directors (60%), hospital epidemiologists (25%), or both (15%). A total of 82% of programs with didactic curricula have infection control sessions, most commonly 1-2 hours in total duration. Of 17 identified topics, only 3 were covered by more than 50% of programs: isolation precautions (54%), central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI; 53%), and hand hygiene (51%). Of the 76 respondents, 35% indicated that fellows participate in a dedicated infection control rotation. Six topics were considered very important by more than 75% of respondents: antimicrobial stewardship (94%), isolation precautions (93%), hand hygiene (90%), CLABSI (90%), surveillance for resistant bacteria (81%), and communicable disease exposure management (81%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pediatric ID fellowship programs dedicate little time to didactic or experiential learning in healthcare epidemiology. There are a wide array of topics that the majority of programs do not cover, including several subjects that are considered to be very important by program directors and hospital epidemiologists. Creating a standardized pediatric infection control curriculum would likely benefit fellows in training.
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, Departments of Medicine and Laboratory Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA. thomas.sandora@childrens.harvard.edu
authors.forename: Thomas J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Sandora
authors.forename: Jennifer C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Esbenshade
authors.forename: Kristina A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Bryant
mesh_terms: D003140:Communicable Disease Control / Q000379:methods; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003479:Curriculum; D004813:Epidemiology / Q000193:education*; D005257:Fellowships and Scholarships; D006801:Humans; D020380:Needs Assessment; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000193:education*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States