Abstract 11252: Developing an Interactive Online Curriculum for Teaching Pediatric Electrocardiogram Interpretation

Abstract

Introduction: Interpretation of pediatric ECGs is a specific skill set that requires familiarity with normal electrographic changes in the developing heart, as well as recognition of a wide range of dysrhythmias or conduction alterations secondary to structural lesions. General pediatricians should use ECGs for various pediatric emergencies, common outpatient concerns and sports participation clearance. Previous studies showed that pediatric trainees are neither comfortable nor proficient in reading ECGs. We developed an interactive self- learning program for teaching pediatric ECG interpretation. Methods: In collaboration between pediatric residents and cardiologists, we created the curriculum, identifying high-yield topics, ‘red flags’ and age- related normal variances that are important to recognize. We built a 5-10-minute teaching module for each topic using Adobe Captivate. The modules were available online on a shared server. Participants were asked to take pre- and post-participation surveys and interpretation skill tests to define knowledge gaps and to focus our curricular development. Results: The pilot curriculum comprised of 14 high-yield topics, general and pediatric- focused. The modules included real ECG samples with multiple-choice questions testing specific electrographic aberrations, followed by audiovisual explanations. The pre-participation survey and test were completed by 57 participants: pediatric residents (59%) and others. Most reported that they do not feel comfortable with distinguishing normal from abnormal ECGs (77.2%), nor recognizing arrhythmias (75.5%) or identifying signs of structural abnormalities (98.3%). The mean test score was 5.13 ± 1.8 out of 10 questions answered correctly, with no significant difference between pediatric residents or other trainees ( p =0.78). Conclusions: We present a newly developed educational program for ECG interpretation that centers on visual learning and pattern recognition of high yield findings in pediatrics. Initial surveys confirm the need for an accessible and engaging teaching tool and we have shared the online modules to be available outside of our institution. We intend to continue and develop the program as more feedback is received.