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Strengthen the Evidence for Maternal and Child Health Programs

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Evidence Tools
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Strategy. Provider Training and Support

Approach. Enhance the knowledge and skills of healthcare providers to positively influence their ability to provide quality care to children

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Overview. The knowledge and skills of healthcare providers can positively influence their ability to provide quality care to children. Provider training, mentoring, and support, including use of an electronic screening, feedback, and consultation tool to support clinical decision-making, enhances the knowledge, skills, confidence, and self-efficacy of providers resulting in improved communication practices, greater disease management, enhanced quality of care, and better health outcomes for children.[1,2,3,4]

Evidence. Emerging Evidence. Strategies with this rating typically trend positive and have good potential to work. They often have a growing body of recent, but limited research that documents effects. However, further study is needed to confirm effects, determine which types of health behaviors and conditions these interventions address, and gauge effectiveness across different population groups. (Clarifying Note: The WWFH database calls this "mixed evidence").

Access the peer-reviewed evidence through the MCH Digital Library or related evidence source. (Read more about understanding evidence ratings).

Source. Peer-Reviewed Literature

Outcome Components. This strategy has shown to have impact on the following outcomes (Read more about these categories):

  • Quality of Care. This strategy promotes the degree to which healthcare services meet established standards aimed at achieving optimal health outcomes.
  • Patient Experience of Care. This study improves individuals' perceptions, feelings, and satisfaction with the healthcare services they receive.
  • Provider Experience of Care. This strategy improves healthcare professionals' perceptions, feelings, and satisfaction with the work environment and systems they use.

Detailed Outcomes. For specific outcomes related to each study supporting this strategy, access the peer-reviewed evidence and read the Intervention Results for each study.

Intervention Type. Direct Care (Read more about intervention types and levels as defined by the Public Health Intervention Wheel).

Intervention Level. Individual/Family-Focused

Examples from the Field. There are currently no ESMs that use this strategy. As Title V agencies begin to incorporate this strategy into ESMs, examples will be available here. Until then, you can search for ESMs that have similar intervention components in the ESM database.

Sample ESMs. Here are sample ESMs to use as models for your own measures using the Results-Based Accountability framework (for suggestions on how to develop programs to support this strategy, see The Role of Title V in Adapting Strategies).

Quadrant 1:
Measuring Quantity of Effort ("What/how much did we do?")

PROCESS MEASURES:

  • Number of healthcare providers participating in comprehensive training programs focused on pediatric care quality and best practices. (Measures reach and engagement of provider education efforts)
  • Number of training hours delivered by Title V on topics such as child health, development, and family-centered care practices. (Assesses intensity and breadth of training interventions)

Quadrant 2:
Measuring Quality of Effort ("How well did we do it?")

PROCESS MEASURES:

  • Percent of provider training programs incorporating interactive skill-building and case-based application to enhance learning transfer. (Measures effectiveness of educational design and delivery)
  • Percent of providers receiving ongoing coaching and opportunities for reflective practice to reinforce new skills. (Assesses post-training support and continuous learning)

Quadrant 3:
Measuring Quantity of Effect ("Is anyone better off?")

PROCESS MEASURES:

  • Number of families reporting enhanced communication and shared decision-making in their child's care following provider training initiatives. (Assesses family experience and engagement impact)
  • Number of healthcare providers demonstrating increased competence in delivering evidence-based pediatric care after training completion. (Measures learning outcomes and skill development)

OUTCOME MEASURES:

  • Number of communities experiencing improved pediatric population health outcomes as a result of expanded access to well-trained healthcare providers. (Measures community impact of workforce development)
  • Number of provider training best practices and innovations adopted across multiple healthcare organizations and systems. (Assesses scalability and dissemination of effective workforce development models)

Quadrant 4:
Measuring Quality of Effect ("How are they better off?")

PROCESS MEASURES:

  • Percent of families reporting enhanced communication and shared decision-making in their child's care following provider training initiatives. (Assesses family experience and engagement impact)
  • Percent of healthcare providers demonstrating increased competence in delivering evidence-based pediatric care after training completion. (Measures learning outcomes and skill development)

OUTCOME MEASURES:

  • Percent of communities experiencing improved pediatric population health outcomes as a result of expanded access to well-trained healthcare providers. (Measures community impact of workforce development)
  • Percent of provider training best practices and innovations adopted across multiple healthcare organizations and systems. (Assesses scalability and dissemination of effective workforce development models)

Note. When looking at your ESMs, SPMs, or other strategies:

  1. Move from measuring quantity to quality.
  2. Move from measuring effort to effect.
  3. Quadrant 1 strategies should be used sparingly, when no other data exists.
  4. The most effective measurement combines strategies in all levels, with most in Quadrants 2 and 4.

Learn More. Read how to create stronger ESMs and how to measure ESM impact more meaningfully through Results-Based Accountability.

References

[1] Addala, A., Filipp, S. L., et al. (2022). Tele-education model for primary care providers to advance diabetes equity: Findings from Project ECHO Diabetes. Frontiers in endocrinology, 13, 1066521.

[2] Chokshi, B., Chen, K. D., & Beers, L. (2020). Interactive Case-Based Childhood Adversity and Trauma-Informed Care Electronic Modules for Pediatric Primary Care. MedEdPORTAL : the journal of teaching and learning resources, 16, 10990.

[3] Cinko, C., Thrasher, A., Sawyer, C., Kramer, K., West, S., & Harris, E. (2023). Using the Project ECHO Model to Increase Pediatric Primary Care Provider Confidence to Independently Treat Adolescent Depression. Academic psychiatry : the journal of the American Association of Directors of Psychiatric Residency Training and the Association for Academic Psychiatry, 47(4), 360–367.

[4] McCarty, C. A., Parker, E., Zhou, C., Katzman, K., Stout, J., & Richardson, L. P. (2022). Electronic Screening, Feedback, and Clinician Training in Adolescent Primary Care: A Stepped-Wedge Cluster Randomized Trial. The Journal of adolescent health, 70(2), 234–240.

This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number U02MC31613, MCH Advanced Education Policy, $3.5 M. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.