118 Improving the Knowledge and Confidence of Diverse NHS Workforce: An Innovated Teaching Program on Research Methodology

Abstract

Abstract Aim International medical graduates (IMG) are a significant contributor to the NHS workforce. According to GMC, there has been an increase in the number of IMG joining the NHS, and their proportion was higher than the combination of UK and EEA graduates in 2020. Clinical research is one of the pillars of clinical governance in the UK; however, their exposure to research methodology in their native countries may be limited, impacting their engagement in clinical research. Our objectives were to measure their knowledge and confidence in research methodology and help them improve imperative skills. Method A total of seven teaching sessions were delivered virtually over two months to IMG working across the UK. The average number of attendees per session was thirty. The lectures covered research ethics, integrity, study designs, literature review, statistics, scientific writing, and critical appraisal. The change in the level of knowledge and confidence in research methodology was evaluated by analysing the responses to the survey completed before and after the novel teaching program. Results 50% reported increase in knowledge of the research methodology Conclusions Substantial improvement in self-reported confidence and knowledge of research methodology was achieved among IMG featuring the high-quality support to the diverse workforce. The innovation of dedicated teaching sessions on research methodology for IMG is crucial in the development of a happy workforce as well as the maintenance of clinical governance of the UK.