Background/Purpose: Pediatric rheumatology is underrepresented in residency core competencies, and many trainees report limited exposure to core rheumatic conditions.1 As a result, residents may feel insufficiently prepared to evaluate common presentations. To address this educational gap, we implemented a teaching intervention incorporating case-based learning, audiovisual presentation, and hands-on guidance and assessed its impact on pediatric residents’ confidence in evaluating rheumatologic conditions.

Methods: We conducted two academic half-day sessions discussing high yield topics in pediatric rheumatology relevant to both pediatric boards and clinical care. We utilized a case-based approach and incorporated hands-on musculoskeletal joint examination, as well as a video on how to perform a joint exam. Categories evaluated included confidence in performing joint exams as well as identifying rheumatologic emergencies, scleroderma, and periodic fever syndromes. Residents completed de-identified pre- and post-session surveys measuring residents’ confidence (1-4 Likert scale) in evaluating rheumatic conditions.

Results: A total of 33 residents (PGY-2 to PGY-4) attended the session and completed both surveys. Baseline confidence was highest for performing a joint examination (mean 2.2) and lowest for identifying periodic fever syndromes (mean 1.99). The greatest improvement occurred in identifying scleroderma (mean increase of 1.25). Across all categories, average confidence increased by 1.07 (Table 1).

Conclusion: Hands-on and case-based teaching improves resident confidence in recognizing pediatric rheumatologic conditions. By utilizing these tools to provide insight into common topics and emergencies within this field, residents have shown increased confidence in identifying these conditions. This evaluation of residents’ confidence in identifying pediatric rheumatology conditions shows potential for future multimodal lectures that better target weaknesses in rheumatology education.1. Shalen J, Austenfeld E, Vater M, Curran M, Hayward K, Mehta J, et al. Essential Areas of Knowledge in Rheumatology for Pediatric Residents: A Modified Delphi Study. Pediatrics. 2025;156(1). 

Table 1. Pediatric Resident Confidence Scores Pre/Post Teaching Module

Figure 1. Pediatric Resident Confidence Scores Pre/Post Teaching Module by Year of Training

« Back to 2026 Pediatric Rheumatology Symposium

ACR Meeting Abstracts - https://acrabstracts.org/abstract/use-of-multimodal-teaching-to-improve-resident-confidence-in-evaluating-rheumatic-conditions/