Evaluation of a web-based portal to improve resident education by neonatology fellows

Abstract

Background

Integration of web-based educational tools into medical training has been shown to increase accessibility of resources and optimize teaching. We developed a web-based educational portal (WBEP) to support teaching of pediatric residents about newborn medicine by neonatology fellows.

Objectives

1) To compare residents’ attitudes about their fellow-led education in the NICU pre- and post-WBEP; including assessment of factors that impact their education and usefulness of teaching tools. 2) To compare fellow utilization of various teaching modalities pre- and post-WBEP.

Design/methods

We queried residents about their attitudes regarding fellow-led education efforts and various teaching modalities in the NICU and logistics potentially impacting effectiveness. Based on these data, we introduced the WBEP – a repository of teaching tools (e.g., mock code cases, board review questions, journal articles, case-based discussion scenarios) for use by fellows to supplement didactic sessions in a faculty-based curriculum. We surveyed residents about the effectiveness of fellow teaching pre- and post-WBEP implementation and the type of fellow-led teaching modalities that were used.

Results

After analysis of survey responses, we identified that residents cited fellow level of interest as the most important factor impacting their education. Post-implementation, residents described greater utilization of various teaching modalities by fellows, including an increase in use of mock codes (14% to 76%, p<0.0001) and journal articles (33% to 59%, p=0.02).

Conclusions

A web-based resource that supplements traditional curricula led to greater utilization of various teaching modalities by fellows and may encourage fellow involvement in resident teaching.

• WBEP
• NICU
• resident education
• fellow-led teaching

Acknowledgements

We thank Dr. Bob Vinci, Assistant Program Director, BCRP, Dr. John Zupancic, MD, ScD, Former Program Director, HNPMFP, the BCRP residents, and the HNPMFP fellows.

Conflict of interest and funding

The authors have not received any funding or benefits from industry or elsewhere to conduct this study.

Financial disclosure: This study was supported by the Department of Pediatric Newborn Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA.

Contributor's statement page Dr. Lakshmanan and Dr. Leeman made substantial contributions to designing the study, analyzing the data, and interpreting the results. Drs. Lakshmanan and Leeman wrote the first draft of the manuscript. Drs. Brodsky and Parad made substantial contributions to designing the study, interpreting the results, and critically revising the manuscript. All authors reviewed and approved the final version of the manuscript.