345 Development of Breast Disease Teaching in the Low and Lower-Middle Income Countries

Abstract

AimBreast cancer is the most common cancer worldwide, with incidence and mortality rates significantly worse in the developing world. There is a need to improve general health professional’s knowledge of breast disease. The recent COVID-19 pandemic has led to an increase in use of online resources, and remote teaching has had a significant role in medical education particularly post-pandemic. This project aims to assess available breast disease related online resources for use in the context of medical undergraduate education in low and lower-middle income countries.MethodA search for online resources was conducted using generic search engine and specialist databases. In the planning phase, predefined search terms were selected, and exclusion and inclusion criteria were identified. In the search execution phase resources were searched for, and the main target and resources type were recorded. In the screening and information management phase resources identified were assessed for comprehensiveness using the Royal College of Surgeons Breast learning outcomes.ResultsA total of 33 e-resources were identified that met predefined criteria. This included text-based websites (n = 19), tutorials (n = 8), and video resources (n = 6). The majority of resources were aimed at patients (n = 12). None of the resources identified met all 11 outcomes outlined by the Royal College of Surgeons, however most resources met 10 of the learning objectives (n = 7).ConclusionsThere was a good selection of available educational resources in the area of breast disease, however further exploration of the suitability and usefulness of e-resources in the setting of low and lower-middle income countries is required.