Retrospective adjustment of self-assessed medical competencies – noteworthy in the evaluation of postgraduate practical training courses

Aim: The efficacy of postgraduate practical training courses is frequently evaluated by self-assessment instruments. The present study analyses the effect of a basic course in laparoscopic surgery on self-assessed medical competencies

Multivariable Prediction Model for Futile Recanalization Therapies in Patients With Acute Ischemic Stroke.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Very poor outcome despite intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) and mechanical thrombectomy (MT) occurs in about 1 of 4 patients with ischemic stroke and is associated with a high logistic and economic burden. We aimed to develop and validate a multivariable prognostic model to identify futile recanalization therapies (FRT) in patients undergoing those therapies. MATERIALS AND METHODS Patients from a prospectively collected observational registry of a single academic stroke center treated with MT and/or IVT were included. The dataset was split into a training (N=1808, 80%) and internal validation (N=453, 20%) cohort. We used gradient boosted decision tree machine-learning models after k-NN imputation of 32 variables available at admission to predict FRT defined as modified Rankin-Scale (mRS) 5-6 at 3 months. We report feature importance, ability for discrimination, calibration and decision curve analysis. RESULTS 2261 patients with a median (IQR) age 75 years (64-83), 46% female, median NIHSS 9 (4-17), 34% IVT alone, 41% MT alone, 25% bridging were included. Overall 539 (24%) had FRT, more often in MT alone (34%) as compared to IVT alone (11%). Feature importance identified clinical variables (stroke severity, age, active cancer, prestroke disability), laboratory values (glucose, CRP, creatinine), imaging biomarkers (white matter hyperintensities) and onset-to-admission time as the most important predictors. The final model was discriminatory for predicting 3-month FRT (AUC 0.87, 95% CI 0.87-0.88) and had good calibration (Brier 0.12, 0.11-0.12). Overall performance was moderate (F1-score 0.63 ± 0.004) and decision curve analyses suggested higher mean net benefit at lower thresholds of treatment (up to 0.8). CONCLUSIONS This FRT prediction model can help inform shared decision making and identify the most relevant features in the emergency setting. While it might be particularly useful in low resource healthcare settings, incorporation of further multifaceted variables is necessary to further increase the predictive performance

Self-assessment insufficiently predicts performance in emergency skills

Background: Residents demonstrate a broad range of performance levels for clinical skills, with some at an inadequate level. Adequate self-assessment is important for life long learning. However, its accuracy is questioned extensively. The aim of this study was to evaluate how far the residents’ self-assessment predicts their performance in an expert assessment of emergency skills. Summary of work: Twelve skills were identified as being relevant for the emergency duties of residents in smaller hospitals. Fifteen first-year residents from the departments of internal medicine and general surgery at a district hospital rated their performance on a questionnaire (self-assessment). This was followed by a structured, practical in vivo assessment by an anaesthesiologist (expert assessment). For both, a visual analogue scale from 0 to 10 was used, on which 0 stands for novice and 10 for expert. Predictive validity was described by Spearman’s correlation, which was significant in 3 out of 12 skills only. Median correlation (r) was 0.50 (range 0.16 to 0.93). Conclusion: At the beginning of postgraduate training, self-assessment alone is not sufficient to guide self-directed learning. Take-home message: At the beginning of their residency, physicians need structured feedback in emergency skills which can be offered by anaesthesiologists

Further concerns about self-assessment: are medical students aware of their progress in clinical skills during clerkship

Background: Medical students do not accurately self-assess their competence. However, little is known about the awareness of change of competence over time. The aim of this study was to evaluate if students are aware of their progress. Summary of work: Twenty-two fourth year medical students had self- and expert-assessments of their clinical skills in musculoskeletal medicine in an OSCE like station (4 point Likert scale) at the beginning (t0) and end (t1) of their eight weeks clerkship in internal medicine. Thirteen students were assigned to the intervention of a 6x1 hour practical examination course; nine took part in the regular clinical clerkship activities only and served as controls. Summary of results/Conclusions: The intervention students significantly improved their skills (from 2.78 ± 0.36 to 3.30 ± 0.36, p<0.05) in contrast to the control students (from 3.11 ± 0.58 to 2.83 ± 0.49, n.s.). At t0, 19 students, at t1 21 out of 22 students underestimated their competence. Correlations between the change of self- and expert-assessment were r=0.43, p<0.05 (all), r=0.47, n.s. (control) and r=-0.12, n.s. (intervention), respectively. Take-home message: Medical students improving their clinical skills by an interactive course in addition to their regular clerkship activities are not aware of their progres

Postgraduate training program

BACKGROUND: Faculties face the permanent challenge to design training programs with well-balanced educational outcomes, and to offer various organised and individual learning opportunities. AIM: To apply our original model to a postgraduate training program in rheumatology in general, and to various learning experiences in particular, in order to analyse the balance between different educational objectives. METHODS: Learning times of various educational activities were reported by the junior staff as targeted learners. The suitability of different learning experiences to achieve cognitive, affective and psychomotor learning objectives was estimated. Learning points with respect to efficacy were calculated by multiplication of the estimated learning times by the perceived appropriateness of the educational strategies. RESULTS: Out of 780 hours of professional learning per year (17.7 hours/week), 37.7% of the time was spent under individual supervision of senior staff, 24.4% in organised structured learning, 22.6% in self-studies, and 15.3% in organised patient-oriented learning. The balance between the different types of learning objectives was appropriate for the overall program, but not for each particular learning experience. Acquisition of factual knowledge and problem solving was readily aimed for during organised teaching sessions of different formats, and by personal targeted reading. Attitudes, skills and competencies, as well as behavioural and performance changes were mostly learned during caring for patients under interactive supervision by experts. CONCLUSION: We encourage other faculties to apply this approach to any other curriculum of undergraduate education, postgraduate training or continuous professional development in order to foster the development of well-balanced learning experiences

Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) of the elbow: a controlled radiological study

BACKGROUND: Extraspinal manifestations of diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) have been described previously. We aimed to assess the prevalence of elbow hyperostotic spurs, to search for sites discriminating for elbow DISH and to analyze the effect of physical activities, handedness and sex. METHODS: Out of 284 patients hospitalized for extraskeletal disorders, 85 patients (33 with and 52 without thoracospinal DISH) agreed to bilateral elbow X-rays in two projections. Clinical information was collected by a standardized questionnaire and X-rays were graded blindly. RESULTS: A total of 400 hyperostotic spurs (210 unilateral, 95 bilateral) were present at 11 predefined sites. The most frequent sites affected were the olecranon (20.8 %), lateral epicondyle (17.8 %) and medial epicondyle (15.5 %). In carriers of thoracospinal DISH significantly more hyperostotic spurs were present at the lateral and medial epicondyle compared to non-DISH carriers (OR 4.01 [95 % CI 1.35–12.34] and 2.88 [1.03–8.24], respectively). The olecranon, lateral and medial epicondyle contributed significantly to the classification of elbow DISH (OR 22.2 [4.1–144.7], 9.6 [1.9–61.2] and 10.1 [2.2–52.1], respectively). The prevalence of elbow hyperostotic spurs was higher in 45 patients with a history of heavy physical activities (24.4 % versus 18.0 %, OR 1.48 [1.17–1.86]), at the right elbow (24.2 % versus 18.6 %, OR 1.39 [1.11–1.75]) and in 62 males (22.8 % versus 17.6 %, OR 1.38 [1.06–1.81]). CONCLUSIONS: Hyperostotic spurs at the olecranon, lateral and medial epicondyle had the highest prevalence and disclosed the most pronounced discrimination for elbow DISH. Mechanical factors such as physical activities and handedness, and sex influenced the formation of these spurs. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12891-015-0575-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users