What do Pediatric Hospital Medicine Physicians Want for Professional Development? A Multi-Site Qualitative Analysis at University-Based and Community Hospitals

In 2013, the American Academy of Pediatrics’ position statement, “Guiding Principles for Pediatric Hospital Medicine (PHM) Programs,” emphasized the importance of professional development for each PHM physician. However, little is published about PHM physicians’ perspectives on professional development. Our objective was to explore pediatric hospitalists’ perceptions of professional development needs, desired educational formats, and barriers to and opportunities for engaging in professional development, as well as to develop a theoretical framework for professional development in PHM. We conducted an IRB-approved qualitative study using 4 semi-structured focus groups in April-May 2019. Questions were developed by …