Expanded newborn screening in Texas: a survey and educational module addressing the knowledge of pediatric residents.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the effectiveness of an educational module as a tool for improving the knowledge of pediatric residents about newborn screening and its expansion in Texas.


METHODS
The study population consisted of 63 pediatric residents from the University of Texas at Houston, Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, and the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. Residents were invited to participate in the study during daily scheduled didactic lectures in their respective residency programs. Questionnaires were distributed to the residents both before and after the presentation of an educational module about newborn screening in Texas to assess whether knowledge was gained from the presentation.


RESULTS
Analysis of questionnaires from the full group of participants showed a substantial increase in knowledge about newborn screening in Texas after the presentation of the educational module. This included a 45.4% increase in knowledge about pre-expansion newborn screening conditions and a 308.4% increase in knowledge about expanded newborn screening conditions (P </= 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Our results suggest that an educational module about newborn screening like the one we created for this study would be an effective tool for improving the knowledge of pediatric residents on a larger scale.
Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, The University of Texas Medical School at Houston, 64341 Fannin Street, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
Amy Stanford
AS
Wells
Hope
H
Northrup
Sharon S
SS
Crandell
Terri M
TM
King
Neena L
NL
Champaigne
Michael
M
Yafi
Bradford L
BL
Therrell
Sarah Jane
SJ
Noblin
D000046:Academic Medical Centers; D000328:Adult; D004503:Education, Medical, Graduate / Q000379:methods; D004521:Educational Measurement / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007396:Internship and Residency / Q000592:standards*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015997:Neonatal Screening / Q000379:methods*; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000592:standards*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013781:Texas