THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A PILOT STUDY OF A STANDARDIZED INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE CURRICULUM FOR GASTROENTEROLOGY FELLOWS

Abstract

Abstract Introduction There is a need for standardization of the inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) training curriculum in gastroenterology fellowship. This training varies by program and in many cases may be insufficient to provide advanced care in IBD. Prior data has shown only 28% of trainees feel satisfied with their IBD exposure and few feel comfortable with the management of pouches, stomas, and pregnant or post-operative patients. The current approach to IBD education varies widely by training program and may include didactic sessions, web-based education, or clinical exposure. Because of the increase in IBD prevalence and rapid change to the treatment armamentarium, fellows need to be uniformly trained in IBD. There is a need for a standardized curriculum for IBD training across all gastroenterology fellowships. Methods We created an IBD curriculum for our categorical gastroenterology fellows based off the core IBD competencies recommended by the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation Rising Educators, Academicians, and Clinicians Helping Inflammatory Bowel Disease (REACH-IBD) group. Unique learning objectives and learning resources were provided during the IBD month, each year of fellowship. A pre-test and post-test was administered during the IBD month. Results The core competencies assessed in pre-survey data is shown in table 1. Preliminary data showed that only one trainee close to the end of training felt comfortable with most aspects of IBD management. The remaining trainees closer to the beginning of their fellowship were less comfortable with most aspects of IBD management (Table 1). First year fellows had most difficulty with identifying serious infections associated with advanced therapies for IBD and noting which laboratory testing is needed for monitoring. Second- and third-year fellows did well with assessment and management of the IBD patient, but had difficulty with advanced management of post-surgical or pregnant patient (Fig. 1). Conclusion This single-center prospective study implemented a novel comprehensive IBD curriculum as part of the IBD training month. Through real-time assessment, specific strengths and areas for further improvement were identified so additional training could be provided. The limitation of the study is the small sample size and limited follow up. Further models in IBD education during gastroenterology fellowship need to be explored. Pre-rotation survey, administered to trainees to assess where they feel weakness lies Bar graph demonstrating individual scores and average scores for post-rotation test, separated by year