6316 Thinking beyond the patient in front of us: developing paediatric population health training in the North West

<h3>Objectives</h3> The NHS Long Term Plan¹ and RCPCH² recommend training for a paediatric workforce that is familiar with population health, focussed on reducing health inequalities. Greater Manchester is one of the most deprived regions in the country with poor health outcomes,³ however population health is not incorporated into our regional paediatric (STEP) training. We piloted two population health training days to support educational needs in this area. <h3>Methods</h3> The days were designed and led by paediatric trainees with experience in population health. They were held as part of the STEP programme to ensure protected teaching time. We took guidance from leading population health paediatricians and used the RCPCH Curriculum (Domain 5)² to devise a programme. We evaluated the impact of the training using anonymous electronic questionnaires. Quantitative feedback was collated and assessed for statistical significance, and free text questions provided qualitative feedback. Subsequently we adapted the second day to include interactive sessions featuring data sources, practical advice on communicating with families, and signposting for additional support. <h3>Results</h3> 45 trainees attended two population health training days, ranging from FY2-ST8 level. 45 trainees completed the pre-teaching survey and 34 completed the post-teaching survey. There was a statistically significant improvement in trainees’ understanding and confidence in population health (table 1). 100% of trainees felt the training helped them meet curriculum objectives. They reported increased confidence in interpreting data, asking about wider determinants of health and signposting families to support (table 2). Barriers to asking about wider determinants of health included lack of time and lack of knowledge about local support services. Training emphasises acute clinical practice and many felt that talking about wider determinants was <i>‘not routine’</i> and that it would <i>‘open a can of worms’</i>. Trainees did not want to offend or assumed families <i>‘will ask for help if they need it’</i>. Feedback both during and after the training was overwhelmingly positive: ‘<i>First real teaching I have had on population health. Very striking and thought-provoking… Reminded me of the importance of treating the patient as a whole. Shocked to see some of the deprivation scores.</i>’ Trainees strongly agreed with the idea of additional training or experience of population health within training (picture 1). <h3>Conclusion</h3> Both training days were well received and demonstrated improvements in knowledge and confidence of trainees. We aim to embed it permanently into the regional STEP teaching programme. We will share our findings nationally and we are expanding a special interest group for trainees. <h3>References</h3> NHS Long Term Plan, NHS, 2019. Progress Plus Curriculum, RCPCH, 2023. Michael Marmot, <i>et al.</i> Building Back Fairer in Greater Manchester, 2021.