A Needs Assessment for a Longitudinal Emergency Medicine Intern Curriculum

A key task of emergency medicine (EM) training programs is to develop a consistent knowledge of core content in recruits with heterogeneous training backgrounds. The traditional model for delivering core content is lecture-based weekly conference; however, a growing body of literature finds this format less effective and less appealing than alternatives. We sought to address this challenge by conducting a needs assessment for a longitudinal intern curriculum for millennial learners. We surveyed all residents from the six EM programs in the greater Chicago area regarding the concept, format, and scope of a longitudinal intern curriculum. We received 153 responses from the 300 residents surveyed (51% response rate). The majority of respondents (80%; 82% of interns) agreed or strongly agreed that a dedicated intern curriculum would add value to residency education. The most positively rated teaching method was simulation sessions (91% positive responses), followed by dedicated weekly conference time (75% positive responses) and dedicated asynchronous resources (71% positive responses). Less than half of respondents (47%; 26% of interns) supported use of textbook readings in the curriculum. There is strong learner interest in a longitudinal intern curriculum. This needs assessment can serve to inform the development of a universal intern curriculum targeting the millennial generation. [West J Emerg Med. 2017;18(1)31-34.

Affective, Cognitive, and Behavioral Outcomes from a Resident Personal Finance Curriculum Pilot

Efforts have been made to improve the financial knowledge and wellbeing of residents; however, interventions to date are limited in scope, scalability, and evidence of impact. The authors address this education gap and describe the development, pilot implementation, and outcomes of a resident personal finance curriculum designed for ease of use. The authors describe a personal finance curriculum for residents that focuses on five topics: education debt, long-term disability insurance, life insurance, investing, and financial advisors. The curriculum consists of written materials hosted on a course website, interactive webinars, and learner assessments. The curriculum was piloted in an emergency medicine residency program from February to May 2018. Twenty (20/49, 41%) residents completed the pilot course. Most residents agreed or strongly agreed that the content was relevant (20/20, 100%) and clearly presented (19/20, 95%), and that they would recommend the curriculum to other residents (20/20, 100%). Performance on the knowledge assessment improved 21% after the intervention (pre-test: 57%, post-test: 78%; P < .001). Most residents also reported behavioral changes (17/20, 85%) with non-exclusive categories of behavioral changes including setting new financial goals (12/20, 60%), taking new action toward financial planning (11/20, 55%), and changing financial habits (6/20, 30%). The authors are implementing the curriculum at additional programs, continuing to refine and collect validity evidence for the knowledge assessment, and developing long-term outcome measures including assessment of goal achievement, retention of financial knowledge, and maintenance of effective financial habits

A Needs Assessment for a Longitudinal Emergency Medicine Intern Curriculum

Introduction A key task of emergency medicine (EM) training programs is to develop a consistent knowledge of core content in recruits with heterogeneous training backgrounds. The traditional model for delivering core content is lecture-based weekly conference, however a growing body of literature finds this format less effective and less appealing than alternatives. We sought to address this challenge by conducting a needs assessment for a novel longitudinal intern curriculum for millennial learners. Methods We surveyed all residents from the six emergency medicine programs in the Chicago area regarding the concept, format, and scope of a longitudinal intern curriculum. Results were analyzed both in total and by a subgroup of interns. Results We received 153 responses from the 300 residents surveyed (51% response rate). The majority of residents (80%, interns: 82%) agreed or strongly agreed that a dedicated intern curriculum would add value to residency education. The most positively rated teaching method was simulation sessions (91%, interns: 91%) followed by dedicated weekly conference time (75%, interns: 84%) and dedicated asynchronous resources (71%, interns: 69%). Less than half of residents (47%, interns: 26%) supported use of textbook readings in the curriculum. Conclusion There is strong learner interest in a longitudinal intern curriculum. This needs assessment can serve to inform the development of a universal intern curriculum targeting the millennial generation

Distinguishing between different percolation regimes in noisy dynamic networks with an application to epileptic seizures.

In clinical neuroscience, epileptic seizures have been associated with the sudden emergence of coupled activity across the brain. The resulting functional networks-in which edges indicate strong enough coupling between brain regions-are consistent with the notion of percolation, which is a phenomenon in complex networks corresponding to the sudden emergence of a giant connected component. Traditionally, work has concentrated on noise-free percolation with a monotonic process of network growth, but real-world networks are more complex. We develop a class of random graph hidden Markov models (RG-HMMs) for characterizing percolation regimes in noisy, dynamically evolving networks in the presence of edge birth and edge death. This class is used to understand the type of phase transitions undergone in a seizure, and in particular, distinguishing between different percolation regimes in epileptic seizures. We develop a hypothesis testing framework for inferring putative percolation mechanisms. As a necessary precursor, we present an EM algorithm for estimating parameters from a sequence of noisy networks only observed at a longitudinal subsampling of time points. Our results suggest that different types of percolation can occur in human seizures. The type inferred may suggest tailored treatment strategies and provide new insights into the fundamental science of epilepsy

Affective, cognitive, and behavioral outcomes from a resident personal finance curriculum pilot project

Background: The transition to residency marks a significant shift in the financial circumstances of medical trainees. Despite existing resources, residents still cite uncertainty in this domain. A personal finance curriculum is needed to close this educational gap and improve the financial well-being of trainees. Methods: The curriculum was developed using Kern\u27s framework. Two needs assessments informed the consensus development of goals and objectives, educational strategies, and assessments. Course material was hosted online for asynchronous review and complemented by two 1-hour webinars. The curriculum was piloted at one institution. Participants completed (1) knowledge assessments before and after the intervention, (2) a survey of reactions to the curriculum, and (3) an assessment of financial behavioral changes after the intervention. Results: Thirty-seven residents (37/49, 76%) enrolled in the curriculum. Among participants, 20 (20/37, 54%) completed the curriculum. Most participants agreed or strongly agreed that the content was relevant (20/20, 100%) and clearly presented (19/20, 95%) and that they would recommend the curriculum to other residents (20/20, 100%). Performance on the knowledge assessment improved 21% after the intervention (mean ± SD = pretest 57% ± 17%, posttest = 78% ± 12%; p \u3c 0.001). Most residents (17/20, 85%) also reported behavioral changes including setting new financial goals (12/20, 60%), taking new action toward financial planning (11/20, 55%), and changing financial habits (6/20, 30%). There were no direct financial costs incurred in the implementation of this pilot. Conclusions: This is a successful pilot of a virtual personal finance curriculum with positive outcomes data. Addressing this problem at scale will require buy-in from educators around the country to deliver this information to residents that may not otherwise seek it out. Future study should assess curricular outcomes in other settings and the durability of acquired knowledge and behavioral changes over time