Abby Spencer

Bio: Abby Spencer is an academic researcher from Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine. The author has contributed to research in topics: Mentorship & Professional development. The author has an hindex of 4, co-authored 4 publications receiving 83 citations. Previous affiliations of Abby Spencer include Allegheny General Hospital & Temple University.

Succeeding as a Clinician Educator: useful tips and resources.

Abstract: Clinician Educators (CEs) play an essential role in the education and patient care missions of academic medical centers. Despite their crucial role, academic advancement is slower for CEs than for other faculty. Increased clinical productivity demands and financial stressors at academic medical centers add to the existing challenges faced by CEs. This perspective seeks to provide a framework for junior CEs to consider with the goal of maximizing their chance of academic success. We discuss six action areas that we consider central to flourishing at academic medical centers: 1. Clarify what success means and define goals; 2. Seek mentorship and be a responsible mentee; 3. Develop a niche and engage in relevant professional development; 4. Network; 5. Transform educational activities into scholarship; and 6. Seek funding and other resources.

The Quality and Safety Educators Academy Fulfilling an Unmet Need for Faculty Development

Abstract: Educating physician trainees in the principles of quality improvement (QI) and patient safety (PS) is a national imperative. Few faculty are trained in these disciplines, and few teaching institutions have the resources and infrastructure to develop faculty as instructors of these skills. The authors designed a 3-day, in-person academy to provide medical educators with the knowledge and tools to integrate QI and PS concepts into their training programs. The curriculum provided instruction in quality and safety, curriculum development and assessment, change management, and professional development while fostering peer networking, mentorship, and professional development. This article describes the characteristics, experiences, and needs of a cross-sectional group of faculty interested in acquiring skills to help them succeed as quality and safety educators. It also describes the guiding principles, curriculum blueprint, program evaluation, and lessons learned from this experience which could be applied to future faculty development programs in quality and safety education.

Frequency, Timing, and Types of Medication Ordering Errors Made by Residents in the Electronic Medical Records Era.

Abstract: Objectives To describe associations between resident level of training, timing of medication orders, and the types of inpatient medication ordering errors made by internal medicine residents. Methods This study reviewed all inpatient medication orders placed by internal medicine residents at a tertiary care academic medical center from July 2011 to June 2015. Medication order errors were measured by pharmacists' reporting of an error via the electronic medical record during real-time surveillance of orders. Multivariable regression models were constructed to assess associations between resident training level (postgraduate year [PGY]), medication order timing (time of day and month of year), and rates of medication ordering errors. Results Of 1,772,462 medication orders placed by 335 residents, 68,545 (3.9%) triggered a pharmacist intervention in the electronic medical record. Overall and for each PGY level, renal dose monitoring/adjustment was the most common order error (40%). Ordering errors were less frequent during the night and transition periods versus daytime (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.93, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.91-0.96, and aOR 0.93, 95% CI 0.90-0.95, respectively). Errors were more common in July and August compared with other months (aOR 1.05, 95% CI 1.01-1.09). Compared with PGY2 residents, both PGY1 (aOR 1.06, 95% CI 1.03-1.10), and PGY3 residents (aOR 1.07, 95% CI, 1.03-1.10) were more likely to make medication ordering errors. Throughout the course of the academic year, the odds of a medication ordering error decreased by 16% (aOR 0.84, 95% CI 0.80-0.89). Conclusions Despite electronic medical records, medication ordering errors by trainees remain common. Additional supervision and resident education regarding medication orders may be necessary.

An update on developments in medical education in response to the COVID-19 pandemic: A BEME scoping review: BEME Guide No. 64.

Abstract: COVID-19 has fundamentally altered how education is delivered. Gordon et al. previously conducted a review of medical education developments in response to COVID-19; however, the field has rapidly ...

Concerns and Responses for Integrating Health Systems Science Into Medical Education.

Abstract: With the aim of improving the health of individuals and populations, medical schools are transforming curricula to ensure physician competence encompasses health systems science (HSS), which includes population health, health policy, high-value care, interprofessional teamwork, leadership, quality i

Health Systems Science in Medical Education: Unifying the Components to Catalyze Transformation.

Abstract: Medical education exists in the service of patients and communities and must continually calibrate its focus to ensure the achievement of these goals. To close gaps in U.S. health outcomes, medical education is steadily evolving to better prepare providers with the knowledge and skills to lead patient- and systems-level improvements. Systems-related competencies, including high-value care, quality improvement, population health, informatics, and systems thinking, are needed to achieve this but are often curricular islands in medical education, dependent on local context, and have lacked a unifying framework. The third pillar of medical education-health systems science (HSS)-complements the basic and clinical sciences and integrates the full range of systems-related competencies. Despite the movement toward HSS, there remains uncertainty and significant inconsistency in the application of HSS concepts and nomenclature within health care and medical education. In this Article, the authors (1) explore the historical context of several key systems-related competency areas; (2) describe HSS and highlight a schema crosswalk between HSS and systems-related national competency recommendations, accreditation standards, national and local curricula, educator recommendations, and textbooks; and (3) articulate 6 rationales for the use and integration of a broad HSS framework within medical education. These rationales include: (1) ensuring core competencies are not marginalized, (2) accounting for related and integrated competencies in curricular design, (3) providing the foundation for comprehensive assessments and evaluations, (4) providing a clear learning pathway for the undergraduate-graduate-workforce continuum, (5) facilitating a shift toward a national standard, and (6) catalyzing a new professional identity as systems citizens. Continued movement toward a cohesive framework will better align the clinical and educational missions by cultivating the next generation of systems-minded health care professionals.

Faculty-Resident "Co-learning": A Longitudinal Exploration of an Innovative Model for Faculty Development in Quality Improvement.

Abstract: PurposeTo examine the effectiveness of co-learning, wherein faculty and trainees learn together, as a novel approach for building quality improvement (QI) faculty capacity.MethodFrom July 2012 through September 2015, the authors conducted 30 semistructured interviews with 23 faculty participants fro

Building the Bridge to Quality: An Urgent Call to Integrate Quality Improvement and Patient Safety Education With Clinical Care

Abstract: Current models of quality improvement and patient safety (QIPS) education are not fully integrated with clinical care delivery, representing a major impediment toward achieving widespread QIPS competency among health professions learners and practitioners. The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada organized a 2-day consensus conference in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, called Building the Bridge to Quality, in September 2016. Its goal was to convene an international group of educational and health system leaders, educators, frontline clinicians, learners, and patients to engage in a consensus-building process and generate a list of actionable strategies that individuals and organizations can use to better integrate QIPS education with clinical care.Four strategic directions emerged: prioritize the integration of QIPS education and clinical care, build structures and implement processes to integrate QIPS education and clinical care, build capacity for QIPS education at multiple levels, and align educational and patient outcomes to improve quality and patient safety. Individuals and organizations can refer to the specific tactics associated with the 4 strategic directions to create a road map of targeted actions most relevant to their organizational starting point.To achieve widespread change, collaborative efforts and alignment of intrinsic and extrinsic motivators are needed on an international scale to shift the culture of educational and clinical environments and build bridges that connect training programs and clinical environments, align educational and health system priorities, and improve both learning and care, with the ultimate goal of achieving improved outcomes and experiences for patients, their families, and communities.