Humanism and professionalism training for pediatric hematology‐oncology fellows: Results of a multicenter randomized trial

Purpose Although humanism and professionalism are central tenets to the practice of medicine, few formal curricula exist for medical trainees. Following a national needs assessment among pediatric hematology‐oncology (PHO) fellows, we created a novel curriculum entitled “Humanism and Professionalism for Pediatric Hematology‐Oncology” (HP‐PHO). In this study, we measure outcomes of this curricular intervention. Method We cluster‐randomized 20 PHO fellowship programs to deliver usual training in humanism and professionalism (UT) or the novel curriculum (intervention) during the 2016‐2017 academic year. The primary outcome measure was the Pediatric Hematology‐Oncology Self‐Assessment in Humanism (PHOSAH). Secondary measures included the Maslach Burnout Inventory, Patient‐Provider Orientation Scale, Empowerment at Work Scale, and a 5‐point satisfaction scale. Participating fellows completed pre‐ and posttests at the beginning and end of the academic year, respectively, and we calculated change scores for each study instrument. Results Cluster randomization yielded 59 intervention and 41 UT fellows. The nine intervention sites administered 33 of 36 modules. Change scores on the PHOSAH were not significantly different between the UT and intervention arms. However, fellows on the intervention arm gave significantly higher ratings on several items within the satisfaction scale related to physician burnout, physician depression, balancing professional duties and personal life, and humanism overall. Conclusions Exposure to the HP‐PHO curriculum did not alter fellows’ self‐assessed humanism and professionalism skills. However, intervention fellows expressed significantly higher levels of satisfaction in their humanism training, indicating the curriculum's potential for positive impact on the fellows’ perceived learning environment.