Neuropsychology

Patient Care

Goals

Acquire an understanding of brain-behavior relationships, the proper use of neuropsychological testing in children and the different roles of a clinical neuropsychologist.

Objectives

Residents will:

1. Learn the basic skills in the diagnosis, evaluation, and management of patients with neurocognitive and neuropsychiatric diseases.
2. Learn the different testing tools available for neurocognitive testing in toddlers and children with neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorders and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Medical knowledge

Goals

Learn and understand the various neuropsychological tools available for testing of children of different ages.

Objectives

Residents will:

1. Demonstrate an understanding of the principles and methods of neuropsychological testing, especially anatomical localization derived from test results and utility of results in determining neurologic diagnoses.
2. Obtain basic knowledge with regard to the clinical course, diagnostic criteria, and management principles of these diseases through clinical interactions, didactic teaching, and background reading, with reading to occur in a patient-specific fashion.

Interpersonal and Communication Skills

Goals

Communicate effectively with patients, families, and the public (as appropriate) across a broad range of socioeconomic, intellectual and cultural backgrounds.

Objectives

            Residents will:

1. Become proficient in communicating clearly with patients, families, staff, and colleagues the results of neuropsychological tests.
2. Learn the basics of creating comprehensive test reports that will be reviewed by the staff attending.

Practice-Based Learning and Improvement

Goals

1. Bring developing knowledge and technology into practice in a responsible manner.
2. Identify opportunities for improvement in the delivery and quality of patient care and work to bring those into practice.

Objectives

The resident will be responsible for tracking the number and diagnoses of patients seen and number of tests performed.  Cases must be entered into the web-based MedHub.  These data will be used to ensure that an adequate educational experience is obtained in neuropsychometric testing.  These data can also be used by the resident in their 6-month self-evaluation (in conjunction with in-service scores) to direct further study.

Professionalism

Goals

1. Demonstrate continuing commitment and leadership in carrying out professional responsibilities, adherence to ethical principles, and sensitivity to diversity.
2. Be familiar with and teach ethical, regulatory, and legal aspects of pediatric neurologic care, including the difference between standard and investigational treatments.
3. Demonstrate sensitivity to the personal, cultural, and religious values that influence patients’ and parents’/caregivers’ medical decisions in the context neurologic disease.

Objectives

            Residents will:

1. Maintain the highest standards of professionalism at all times, especially in interactions with patients and with other health care providers.
2. Be responsible for tracking duty hours and reporting them to the supervisory attending.

Systems-Based Practice

Goals

1. Provide care of uniformly high quality within fiscally constrained environment.
2. Navigate various health care delivery and financing systems to provide optimal care.

Objectives

Residents will learn about how to work within the constraints of our current health care system to provide neuropsychometric testing/consultation in an appropriate fashion.  Neuropsychometric testing is not always approved by insurance companies and appropriate use of testing must thus be learned.