Breastfeeding Education in the Time of COVID-19

Breastfeeding Education in the Time of COVID-19. Hybrid Telesimulation With Standardized Patients for Pediatric and Family Medicine Trainees, a Randomized Trial

This project will establish that pediatric and family medicine residents who complete a hybrid breastfeeding medicine curriculum that includes an asynchronous unfolding case scenario along with telesimulation with a standardized patient (SP) will provide timely, skilled lactation support more frequently than residents randomized to an asynchronous unfolding case scenario followed by videoconference group discussion regarding care for the breastfeeding dyad.

1. Establish that pediatric and family medicine residents who complete a novel breastfeeding medicine curriculum that includes an online unfolding case scenario along with telemedicine simulation with a standardized patient (SP) will provide timely, skilled lactation support more frequently than residents randomized to an online unfolding case scenario followed by traditional didactic breastfeeding case-presentation via videoconference.
2. Establish that online learning via unfolding case scenario and telemedicine simulation with a SP will be feasible for family medicine and pediatric residents to complete during their newborn nursery rotation.

Intern and third year residents completing their newborn nursery rotation at UC Davis Medical Center will be cluster-randomized by rotation month to receipt of breastfeeding education via telesimulation with standardized patient or traditional case-based learning via videoconferencing with pediatric faculty. The primary outcome of this study will be the translation of clinical lactation skills to the care of breastfeeding mothers and newborns. I hypothesize that pediatric and family medicine residents randomized to complete the telesimulation with SP will translate their acquired clinical lactation skills to the care of breastfeeding mothers and newborns at a greater rate than residents who complete a videoconference case-based traditional curriculum discussion with a newborn nursery pediatrician.

1. Inclusion Criteria: Pediatric and Family Medicine resident physicians at UC Davis Medical Center
2. Exclusion criteria: Individuals who are unable to communicate in English, Individuals who do not have access to videoconferencing via computer or phone.