Given the ever-increasing need to have experts available to help children with behavioral, developmental, and mental health issues, it is sad developmental and behavioral pediatric (DBP) specialists are not overflowing with applicants for fellowship training. Who is practicing DBP, how satisfied are they with their careers, and what can we do to grow the workforce? To answer that question, Bridgemohan et al. (10.1542/peds.2017-2164) provide us with the results of an AAP survey sent to members of the AAP’s Section on DBP and other DBP member organizations. 48% of the 1568 surveyed responded, of which 411 were DBP fellowship trained, and 147 pediatricians were not along with 125 nurse practitioners. Sadly, one-third planned to retire in 3 to 5 years and the mean age of being in the field was 29 years post medical school graduation, suggesting that this is an aging specialty. The report of burnout is discouraging as well as the time spent in non-reimbursable clinical care activities—all concerning findings. This study points to opportunities for those in DBP to overcome these barriers.
But how best to do that? We asked DPB specialists Dr. Laurel Leslie and Rebecca Baum along with American Board of Pediatrics researcher Adam Turner to assess these results and provide suggestions for enhancing the workforce numbers in this specialty. In their accompanying commentary (10.1542/peds.2017-4132), they compare the AAP survey findings with data at the American Board of Pediatrics (where Dr. Leslie is also the Vice President of Research) and suggest that despite the 48% response rate, the results are likely generalizable across the specialty. They call for a more integrated, collaborative model involving use of interdisciplinary models of care including primary care providers, psychologists, social workers, community health workers, and parent peer navigators to reenergize the specialty as to enhance DBP care delivery to more children and families. Take a time out and read both the study and commentary and then reflect on how you might better integrate the model described in the commentary into your practice.
