The chair of the new AAP Task Force on Safety and Wellbeing Within the Pediatric Profession updated attendees of the 2024 Leadership Conference on the group’s work, which addresses one of the Academy’s strategic priorities.
“This is for me and many of us uncharted territory, but we heard from membership that this is a really important issue,” said task force Chair Yvonne “Bonnie” Maldonado, M.D., FAAP. “We not only want to be responsive, but we want to do this in a way that affects you on a daily basis so that we can really make a difference in your lives, as well as the lives of your patients and their families.”
A resolution calling for the Academy to support pediatrician advocates experiencing stress, threats of violence and/or public attacks was voted as the No. 1 resolution at the 2022 Leadership Conference. In May 2023, the AAP Board of Directors approved the new task force.
The group is comprised of 14 members and three staff members, many of whom have experienced adversity themselves or are experts in the field. The group, which held its first meeting in May, has been charged with identifying the following:
- key drivers impacting the well-being and safety of pediatricians,
- short-, medium- and long-term opportunities to enhance well-being and safety,
- unique role(s) the AAP should play in those opportunities and
- key partners to address pediatricians’ needs.
During his address to attendees, AAP President Benjamin D. Hoffman, M.D., FAAP, spoke of the many challenges pediatricians have faced, including natural disasters and challenges to AAP policy.
“We know a lot of the problems, and we see a lot of the problems,” Dr. Hoffman said. “Truly, everything we do, everything we say goes back to our policy. Our policy is based on science and data. If we are superheroes, that is our shield.”
He also emphasized support for pediatricians who practice in states with policies and legislation that are not aligned with AAP recommendations, including Florida, site of the 2024 National Conference & Exhibition.
“We’re going to stand with you. We’re going to walk with you, we’ll yell with you, whatever you need,” Dr. Hoffman said. “We’re here. We have our shield, and we know our North Star.”
Dr. Maldonado said many pediatricians may feel their work is limitless and performance-driven, which can lead to a lack of self-care and isolation.
“I do love the concept of superheroes, but we can’t be superheroes all the time,” said Dr. Maldonado, senior associate dean of faculty development and diversity and the Taube Professor of Global Health and Infectious Diseases at Stanford University. “We have to think about wellness and have to define what wellness means. A lot of this has to do with physician and administration collaboration. We need to work together because we are pressured more and more around our health.”
Among data being reviewed by the task force is information from the AAP Pediatrician Life and Career Experience Study (PLACES). The longitudinal study was launched in 2012 to track the personal and professional experiences of early career pediatricians. A total of 2,700 pediatricians in three cohorts provide annual updates on issues such as satisfaction, work-life balance, work environment, daily stressors and life changes.
PLACES data show pediatricians report feeling most stressed about finishing/catching up on work at home, working with insurance companies, documenting patient information through electronic health records and completing required nonclinical activities. Areas of work providing the least stress include linking families with community resources, completing external regulatory requirements and providing clinical care to children and adolescents. The next PLACES survey will launch this fall.
According to an informal virtual survey of Leadership Conference attendees, the topics most affecting the health, safety and well-being of pediatricians include pay, administrative burdens, nonclinical tasks, charting, insurance and workload.
Next steps for the task force include reviewing data, disseminating key findings and providing resources to reinforce the safety of the workforce. The group also will engage AAP members to provide ongoing feedback.
Task force members will consider how recommendations relate to the AAP Strategic Plan and the Equity Agenda workplan. They also will consider how specialty, practice type, geography, race/ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation and ability inform this work.
Additional coverage of the AAP Leadership Conference
