Background/Purpose: Cooperation and collaboration between developing countries can be mutually beneficial and create the basis for a longstanding, Third World-centered educational program aimed at increasing the pediatric support for Pediatric Rheumatology (PR). The objective of this presentation is to describe a binational (Argentina-South Africa), bicontinental, educational program aimed at increasing the pediatric support for PR in developing countries with similar health problems.
Methods: This is an ongoing program aimed at combining the expertise from 2 centers in different developing countries to deliver a program in professional education. This program was approved and supported by an ILAR educational grant. Its objectives are: 1) To provide pediatricians with education and training in the management of patients with juvenile rheumatic diseases to facilitate early diagnosis, referral and follow up 2) To develop permanent communication means for bidirectional contact between local teams and specialized centers. 3) To establish an integrated South Africa-Argentina (SA-A) teaching modality, adapted to the needs of these developing countries. Strategies used were: selection of 6 pediatricians working in underserved areas of SA-A based on availability and interest in the field; 3 months-long rotations in Pediatric Rheumatology centers in Cape Town and Buenos Aires; supervised patient-centered education and personalized training of pediatricians where they applied to a 10-item curriculum-based program; visiting professorships to those areas for education of basics of PR for pediatricians through patient-based teaching sessions and interactive discussions; periodic, problem-based, SA-A teleconference rounds where expertise in clinical, epidemiological and educational aspects of PR from both centers were shared and promoted new developments in patient care and professional education. A tailored educational program included specific competency-based educational goals for each trainee as well as community-based epidemiological research and team-based, patient-oriented care adapted to the specific local needs of the trainee´s setting. Post-training assessment of trainees’ skills and knowledge was performed through multiple choice tests and Objective Structured Clinical Examination, as well as trainees´ satisfaction through a structured survey.
Results: six pediatricians (3 in Argentina and 3 in South Africa) received a comprehensive training according to the educational program. They were successfully evaluated and returned to their local setting, where they are currently involved in the care of children and adolescents with rheumatic conditions. Visiting professorships resulted in the delivery of basics of PR to over 200 pediatricians in different cities of underserved areas of SA-A. All trainees expressed high degree of satisfaction with their experience. Their activities are periodically monitored through combined trainer-trainee case discussions.
Conclusion: This project developed an ongoing, successful educational strategy that may be used as a model for training in PR in other regions of the developing world. Evaluation of the impact of the program on care delivery will follow.
Disclosure:
R. A. G. Russo,
None;
M. M. Katsicas,
None;
K. Webb,
None;
C. Scott,
None.
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ACR Meeting Abstracts - https://acrabstracts.org/abstract/southern-hemisphere-educational-partnership-for-pediatric-arthritis-and-rheumatological-diseases-sheppard-an-international-educational-program/