Chief, Division of General Academic Pediatrics
Professor of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Jack L. Paradise MD Endowed Professor of Pediatric Research
General Academic Pediatrics

Memberships

• Ambulatory Pediatric Association
• American Academy of Pediatrics
• International Society of Pediatric Otolaryngology
• National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders
• Society for Pediatric Research

Board Certifications

American Board of Pediatrics

Biography

Dr. Hoberman’s research interests include the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of two of the most frequently occurring pediatric conditions, acute otitis media (AOM) and urinary tract infections (UTI). AOM is the most common pediatric illness for which antibiotics are prescribed; three of four children have AOM by age 3. UTI is the most frequently occurring serious bacterial illness, particularly in young febrile children.

In the area of UTIs his research has evaluated (1) the prevalence of UTIs in young febrile infants, (2) diagnostic screening tests to identify children with UTI, (3) follow-up imaging studies performed in children following an initial episode of UTI, and (4) treatment options, particularly a comparison of outpatient vs. inpatient therapy in young febrile children. Together with Diana Kearney, RN, CRC, Dr. Hoberman developed a videotape aimed at instructing clinicians in the performance of bladder catheterization and in the evaluation of an uncentrifuged urine specimen using a hemocytometer.

In the area of AOM, his research has included the evaluation of (1) antimicrobial treatment regimens, (2) topical otic analgesic medication, (3) the seasonality of antimicrobial resistance, and (4) the efficacy of influenza vaccine in preventing AOM in young children.

In the area of medical education, Dr. Hoberman and Dr. Phillip H. Kaleida developed a multimedia educational series of otoendoscopic examinations for self-training on the use of pneumatic otoscopy. A second multimedia program had the objective of instructing the distinction between AOM from otitis media with effusion. These multimedia educational programs aimed to improve diagnostic accuracy in children with AOM and have been used in instructing large number of trainees and audiences worldwide. Again, with Dr. Kaleida and other members of the Division of General Academic Pediatrics at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, programs have been developed to help train medical residents across the country in the diagnosis of AOM. They secured funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) for the development of an innovative project called ePROM (enhancing PRoficiency in Otitis Media). This program includes Web-based interactive modules, individualized telemedicine feedback, and reinforcement of skills by training champions at each residency program.

Over the years, Dr. Hoberman has been the principal investigator of a collaborative – General Pediatrics and General Internal Medicine – Faculty Development in Primary Care Training Program, funded by the Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA). The overall purpose of this collaborative faculty development program has been to create a new generation of primary care clinician researchers in pediatrics, internal medicine and medicine-pediatrics. These individuals must work effectively in interdisciplinary teams, address public health priorities, be culturally competent, consult those who are impacted by their care and research, and develop leadership skills to translate results into policy.

Dr. Hoberman was selected by the National Institutes of Diabetes Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) as the principal investigator of a Pediatric Nephrology/Urology Clinical Treatment Center that currently is conducting a 600-child randomized, placebo-controlled study evaluating the efficacy of antimicrobial prophylaxis in young children with vesicoureteral reflux diagnosed following a first UTI. The project is being done at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh in collaboration with 5 additional sites in the U.S. In collaboration with Dr. Keren at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Dr. Hoberman received NIDDK ancillary funding to enroll an additional 360 children to evaluate risk factors for renal scarring in children with urinary tract infections. This work is being done at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C. Dr. Hoberman has also been funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infections Diseases (NIAID)/National Institute of Child Health & Human Development (NICHD) to study in a randomized, placebo-controlled trial, the efficacy of antimicrobial treatment in young children with AOM. A total of 200 children have been enrolled in this study, which should be completed in early 2009.

Dr. Hoberman graduated from medical school in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he completed a general pediatrics residency at the Children's Hospital of Buenos Aires. He then came to the United States for fellowship training in ambulatory pediatrics at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, under Jack L. Paradise and Kenneth Rogers. Immediately following fellowship he joined the faculty at the University of Pittsburgh and Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, where he currently leads the Division of General Academic Pediatrics. His research findings have been published in the New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA and other highly rated peer-reviewed journals. In 2000, Dr. Hoberman was named the first Jack L. Paradise, MD, Professor of Pediatric Research at Children’s.