Innovative web-based multimedia curriculum improves cardiac examination competency of residents.
BACKGROUND
Proper diagnosis of cardiac disorders is a core competency of internists. Yet numerous studies have documented that the cardiac examination (CE) skills of physicians have declined compared with those of previous generations of physicians, attributed variously to inadequate exposure to cardiac patients and lack of skilled bedside teaching. With growing concerns about ensuring patient safety and quality of care, public and professional organizations are calling for a renewed emphasis on the teaching and evaluation of clinical skills in residency training.


OBJECTIVE
The objective of the study was to determine whether Web training improves CE competency, whether residents retain what they learn, and whether a Web-based curriculum plus clinical training is better than clinical training alone. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2008;3:124-133. (c) 2008 Society of Hospital Medicine.


METHODS
This was a controlled intervention study.


METHODS
The intervention group (34 internal and family medicine interns) participated in self-directed use of a Web-based tutorial and three 1-hour teaching sessions taught by a hospitalist. Twenty-five interns from the prior year served as controls.


METHODS
We assessed overall CE competency and 4 subcategories of CE competency: knowledge, audio skills, visual skills, and audio-visual integration.


RESULTS
The over mean score of the intervention group significantly improved, from 54 to 66 (P = .002). This improvement was retained (63.5, P = .05). When compared with end-of-year controls, the intervention group had significantly higher end-of-year CE scores (57 vs. 63.5, P = .05), knowledge (P = .04), and audio skills (P = .01). At the end of the academic year, all improvements were retained (P <or= .04) except visual skills (P = .75).


CONCLUSIONS
A Web-based interactive educational program with minimal hospitalist involvement led to significant improvement in CE competence and was better than clinical training alone.
Criley
Jasminka M
JM
UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California, USA. jmcriley@gmail.com
Keiner
Jennifer
J
Boker
John R
JR
Criley
Stuart R
SR
Warde
Carole M
CM
D000328:Adult; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003194:Computer-Assisted Instruction / Q000379:methods*; D003479:Curriculum; D003935:Diagnostic Techniques, Cardiovascular; D004521:Educational Measurement; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007388:Internal Medicine / Q000193:education; D020407:Internet; D007396:Internship and Residency; D008297:Male; D017145:Models, Educational; D019212:Multimedia; D010808:Physical Examination; D010821:Physicians, Family / Q000193:education