First-Year PHM Fellow Golisano Children's Hospital at The University of Rochester Medical Center Rochester, New York, United States
Background: In recent years, the field of pediatric hospital medicine (PHM) has expanded from having a primary emphasis on providing clinical care to also encompassing research foci. Despite this increase in research capacity, little is known about the larger research milieu in which pediatric hospitalists operate. An improved understanding of the current state of research in PHM is required for the field to advance and align expectations of productivity with available resources. Objective: The primary objective of this study is to assess the current state of research in PHM by examining areas of scholarly focus, institutional support and expectations, and the availability as well as sources of financial support for scholarship. We define efforts in research based on the intent to externally disseminate clinical, bench, quality improvement, or other research findings through peer-reviewed publications. Design/Methods: The construction of our survey was informed by a 2009 cross-sectional online survey of pediatric hospitalists that examined research productivity in the field, as well as 2018 and 2021 surveys that described the state of research in adult hospitalist programs. By expanding upon these studies, our survey will allow for comparison across years and specialties. The 16-question cross-sectional online survey will be distributed in collaboration with the Pediatric Research in Inpatient Settings (PRIS) network to approximately 100 PHM leaders nationally (division chiefs, department chairs, or section heads). Our institutional review board application is under review and we anticipate exemption from full review. The survey will assess institutional demographics, professional responsibilities and research domains of PHM members, intra- and extramural research funding sources, and divisional supports. The survey will be conducted from January through March 2024 with a goal response rate >60%. Descriptive statistics, including proportions, means, and percentages, will be used to tabulate results; we will conduct these analyses in March 2024.