Measuring LEND Core Competencies Using Trainee Follow-Up Surveys

• Published in: Maternal and child health journal Vol. 27; no. 12; pp. 2147 - 2155
• Main Authors: Bishop, Lauren, McLean, Kiley J., Harris, Anne Bradford, Rabidoux, Paula C., Laughlin, Sarah F., Noll, Robert B.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01-12-2023
• Subjects: Child; Developmental Disabilities; Follow-Up Studies; Gynecology; Humans; Interdisciplinary Studies; Leadership; Maternal and Child Health; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Neurodevelopmental Disorders; Pediatrics; Population Economics; Public Health; Sociology; Surveys and Questionnaires; Interprofessional training; Interdisciplinary training; Training outcomes; Measurement of educational outcomes; Graduate training
• ISSN: 1092-7875; 1573-6628
• DOI: 10.1007/s10995-023-03759-5

Objectives
Measuring the value-added impact of Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities and Related Disorders (LEND) training on trainees’ leadership and career trajectories is necessary to understand program efficacy. In the current study, we leveraged an existing ex post facto design to develop and test a new measure of LEND competencies and compare outcomes of LEND trainees and comparison peers.
Methods
We developed the LEND Outcomes Follow-Up Survey using a multi-step, mixed methods process. A series of focus groups and consultations with key stakeholders identified eight important LEND leadership outcomes: (1) interdisciplinary work; (2) advocacy; (3) intersectional approach; (4) systems perspective; (5) life course perspective; (6) leadership; (7) engagement with maternal and child health populations; and (8) research experience. We developed and piloted this novel survey to measure these LEND leadership outcomes. We used data collected from this novel measure and an existing survey that is used nationally by LEND, to compare the outcomes of 43 LEND trainees and 30 comparison peers at two years post completion of LEND training.
Results
We found that, compared to comparison peers, LEND trainees: (1) worked with a greater number of disciplines; (2) were more likely to be engaged in advocacy; (3) were more likely to utilize a systems perspective in their work; (4) were more likely to work with maternal and child health populations; and (5) were more likely to have experience conducting research.
Conclusions
Our findings suggested that LEND training improves LEND leadership outcomes at two years post-completion of LEND training.
Significance
As federally funded training programs, LEND programs must provide rigorous evidence for program efficacy. This study leveraged an existing, multi-site study design to develop and test a novel survey designed to assess group differences in knowledge, attitudes, and skills related to LEND core competencies in a cohort of LEND trainees and matched comparison peers. Findings suggest that LEND trainees had significantly better leadership outcomes than comparison peers. This study adds to the body of literature that suggests that LEND training is efficacious and that our design can be successfully leveraged to test outcomes two years after completion of LEND training.