Abstract
BackgroundThe Pediatric Nutrition Series (PNS) consists of ten online, interactive modules and supplementary educational materials that have utilized web-based multimedia technologies to offer nutrition education for pediatric trainees and practicing physicians. The purpose of the study was to evaluate pediatric trainees’ engagement, knowledge acquisition, and satisfaction with nutrition modules delivered online in interactive and non-interactive formats.MethodsFrom December 2010 through August 2011, pediatric trainees from seventy-three (73) different U.S. programs completed online nutrition modules designed to develop residents’ knowledge of counseling around and management of nutritional issues in children. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 19. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used in comparing interactive versus non-interactive modules. Pretest/posttest and module evaluations measured knowledge acquisition and satisfaction.ResultsThree hundred and twenty-two (322) pediatric trainees completed one or more of six modules for a total of four hundred and forty-two (442) accessions. All trainees who completed at least one module were included in the study. Two-way analyses of variance (ANOVA) with repeated measures (pre/posttest by interactive/non-interactive format) indicated significant knowledge gains from pretest to posttest (p < 0.002 for all six modules). Comparisons between interactive and non-interactive formats for Module 1 (N = 85 interactive, N = 95 non-interactive) and Module 5 (N = 5 interactive, N = 16 non-interactive) indicated a parallel improvement from the pretest to posttest, with the interactive format significantly higher than the non-interactive modules (p < .05). Both qualitative and quantitative data from module evaluations demonstrated that satisfaction with modules was high. However, there were lower ratings for whether learning objectives were met with Module 6 (p < 0.03) and lecturer rating (p < 0.004) compared to Module 1. Qualitative data also showed that completion of the interactive modules resulted in higher resident satisfaction.ConclusionsThis initial assessment of the PNS modules shows that technology-mediated delivery of a nutrition curriculum in residency programs has great potential for providing rich learning environments for trainees while maintaining a high level of participant satisfaction.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/1472-6920-14-190) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Highlights
The Pediatric Nutrition Series (PNS) consists of ten online, interactive modules and supplementary educational materials that have utilized web-based multimedia technologies to offer nutrition education for pediatric trainees and practicing physicians
Despite the fact that nutrition plays a critical role in health promotion, disease prevention, and treatment of patients, many practicing physicians do not feel comfortable or adequately prepared to provide nutrition counseling related to the nutrition aspects of diseases or concerns of their patients [1,2]
As discussed by Darer et al [9], 63% of physicians reported inadequate training in the area of nutrition counseling for patients with chronic illnesses. These figures suggest that learners continue to recognize gaps in their nutrition education and it seems that residency programs did not meet their needs
Summary
The Pediatric Nutrition Series (PNS) consists of ten online, interactive modules and supplementary educational materials that have utilized web-based multimedia technologies to offer nutrition education for pediatric trainees and practicing physicians. In 1985, a report from the National Academy of Sciences suggested medical schools provide at least 25 hours of nutrition instruction within their curriculum [7]. A recent update of a national survey of 109 medical schools found that the average required contact hours with nutrition education was 19.6 and medical students indicated that time spent studying nutrition in their curriculum was inadequate [8]. As discussed by Darer et al [9], 63% of physicians reported inadequate training in the area of nutrition counseling for patients with chronic illnesses. These figures suggest that learners continue to recognize gaps in their nutrition education and it seems that residency programs did not meet their needs. The ultimate result of this deficiency is graduating pediatricians without the nutrition competencies required in medical practice, leaving many uncomfortable discussing the topic with their patients
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