Objective: To assess knowledge of the Denver II, the revised developmental
screening tool recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics, in reside
nts and faculty, and to evaluate a teaching intervention for incoming postg
raduate year 1 (PGY-1) trainees.
Design: A cross-sectional rest of knowledge for all subjects and pretesting
and posttesting of the incoming PGY-1 trainees.
Setting: University of Texas-Houston Medical School Department of Pediatric
s.
Participants. Faculty (n = 9) and residents (n = 78), including an interven
tion group (n = 45), of incoming PGY-1 trainees over 2 years.
Interventions: Postgraduate year 1 trainees in both 1994 through 1995 and 1
995 through 1996 viewed the Denver IT training videotape on entry into a co
ntinuity clinic. Trainees were encouraged to perform Denver II evaluations
on at least 1 appropriate patient at each pediatric clinic session and had
access to Denver II support materials.
Main Outcome Measures: Scores on the Denver II Proficiency Written Test, se
lf-reported measures of comfort, and number of Denver II evaluations perfor
med.
Results: The mean (SD) test scores for incoming, preintervention PGY-1. tra
inees (n = 45) (41.3 [9.6]) did not differ from scores for outgoing PGY-1 t
rainees (n = 13) (38.5 [10.4]) who had not received the intervention. Posti
ntervention PGY-1 test results were significantly improved (59.4 [10.6]) (P
<.001). Test scores for upper-level residents who had participated in the d
evelopmental pediatrics rotation (n = 14) were better (55.3 [9.3]), but all
scored below passing. Residents who had not yet participated in the develo
pmental pediatrics rotation (n = 19) and members of the general pediatric f
aculty (n = 9) had scores similar to those of PGY-1 trainees (40.9 [13.4] a
nd 39.0 [15.1], respectively).
Conclusions: Residents had a greater knowledge of the Denver II after compl
eting a developmental pediatrics rotation. Our intervention produced signif
icant improvement in PGY-1 trainees' knowledge, raising it to levels simila
r to those of upper-level residents exposed to developmental pediatrics. Fa
culty were not expert in using the Denver II.