Introduction

The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) core competency of Practice-Based Learning and Improvement (PBLI) best summarizes the knowledge that caring for patients is a powerful way to learn.¹ In addition, it helps us to understand that this learning experience is most beneficial when we measure our processes of care and spend time in self-reflection. Finally, attaining competency in PBLI provides the physician with skills that will be useful over the course of his/her career.

The objectives of this chapter are to define the competency of PBLI and provide strategies for teaching PBLI during a pediatric residency training program.

Definition

PBLI encompasses evaluation of patient care practices, appraisal and assimilation of scientific evidence, and subsequent improvement in patient care. The ACGME delineates six aspects of PBLI that provide a stepwise approach for physicians to successfully incorporate PBLI into daily practice. Table 6-1 lists the six aspects of PBLI.

Table 6-1 The ACGME Six Aspects of PBLI

The Importance of Skills in PBLI

The competency of PBLI is important because it teaches pediatricians how to monitor the quality of their work, improve their care of children, and keep up with new developments in pediatric medicine. As the American Board of Pediatrics adopts and implements Maintenance of Certification, understanding the core principles of PBLI becomes critical for the practicing pediatrician in order to maintain board certification. The four-step Maintenance of Certification process will entail assessment of the following:

Professional standing