Injury prevention training in pediatric residency programs

Objectives: To quantify the content and setting of injury prevention training provided to pediatric residents and to identify aspects of residency programs associated with this training. Design: Mail survey. Setting: US pediatric residency programs. Participants: Residency program directors. Main Outcome Measures: Number of programs stating that they train residents in various injury prevention topics, and the setting of this training. Results: More than 80% of programs addressed 92% of topics surveyed dealing with disease prevention, but only 59% of topics dealing with injury prevention. Injury prevention topics covered less frequently included smoke detector use and swimming pool, sports, and firearm safety. Programs used continuity clinics most often to teach injury prevention. No specific program characteristic was associated with the content or setting of injury prevention training. Residency programs located in states in which house fires, drowning, or firearm injuries are the leading causes of death were not more likely to offer prevention training on these topics. Conclusions: Injury prevention is less frequently taught than disease prevention in pediatric residency training. Injury prevention is most often taught in continuity clinics, the setting most consistent with ongoing primary patient care. A gap exists between the leading causes of injury death and injury prevention topics taught to pediatric residents. Residency programs must better recognize and adapt to the epidemiology of trauma in their communities, better enabling new pediatricians to meet their patient's needs.