Developing an ethics curriculum for an internal medicine residency program: use of a needs assessment.
BACKGROUND
Residency programs are required to teach and evaluate trainees in the area of professionalism and medical ethics. Prior to developing a curriculum in this area, residents and fellows were surveyed to assess learning needs.


METHODS
A case-based survey was developed based on published curricula. Residents and fellows were asked to describe their comfort level in 11 clinical scenarios on a Likert-type scale ranging from 1 (not at all comfortable) to 10 (extremely comfortable).


RESULTS
151 surveys were returned for an overall response rate of 73%. Comfort levels ranged from a low of 3.1 to a high of 8.5 on the 10-point scale. Despite additional years of clinical training, fellows only reported an increased comfort level in 1 case.


CONCLUSIONS
Learning needs exist in residents and fellows in the area of medical ethics. Use of a needs assessment was instrumental in planning and designing an ethics curriculum.
Department of Medicine, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA. dwayne@northwestern.edu
Diane B
DB
Wayne
J Cameron
JC
Muir
Debra A
DA
DaRosa
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002641:Chicago; D003479:Curriculum; D003625:Data Collection; D004992:Ethics, Medical / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D007388:Internal Medicine / Q000193:education* / Q000941:ethics; D007396:Internship and Residency / Q000941:ethics*; D020380:Needs Assessment