UTILITY OF ELECTRONIC HANDOUTS IN EDUCATING RESIDENTS ON HEMATOLOGY-ONCOLOGY EMERGENCIES

Abstract

TOPIC: Education, Research, and Quality Improvement TYPE: Original Investigations PURPOSE: Evaluate the internal medicine residents' knowledge about hematological-oncological emergencies and assess if electronic handouts in flashcard format helped improve residents' knowledge. METHODS: 73 internal medicine residents of Mercy Catholic Medical Center who were not participating in the questionnaire's development or validation received the anonymous questionnaire. Microsoft Forms was used for this purpose. The questionnaire had 20 custom-created questions about hematology-oncology emergencies. All residents were randomly assigned to the two groups using the web-based tool on randomizer.com. Group 1 had 32 residents and received only the questionnaire. Group 2 had 41 residents and received handouts in flashcard format (recorded in PowerPoint). These handouts covered the following topics: spinal cord compressions, superior vena cava syndrome, tumor lysis syndrome, hypercalcemia, pericardial tamponade, hypoglycemia, syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion, bowel obstruction, increased intracranial pressure, leukostasis, hyperviscosity syndrome, neutropenic fever, and hypersensitivity reaction. Each correct answer given by the resident counted for one point and each wrong answer for zero points, with the maximum possible score being 20. Statistical software PRISM 9, San Diego, was used for statistical analysis. The final scores of group 1 and group 2 were assessed using the Mann-Whitney test. RESULTS: The questionnaire was completed by 19 residents, with a 26% completion rate. Nine residents from group 1 and 10 residents from group 2 completed the questionnaire. Given the number of responses, the Mann-Whitney test was used to evaluate the two groups' differences. The median score in group 1 was 9 (mean score 9.778) compared to a median score of 12.5 in group 2 (mean 13), p<0.0131. CONCLUSIONS: The electronic handouts in flashcard format can be an effective way to improve knowledge about hematology-oncology emergencies among Internal medicine residents. This study's main limitation remains the low response rate for reasons such as increased time required for completion and review of handout material. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Electronic handouts can be a useful tool in educating internal medicine residents about hematological-oncological emergencies. Awareness of such emergencies can lead to early diagnosis and treatment to prevent catastrophic complications. DISCLOSURES: No relevant relationships by Bohdan Baralo, source=Web Response No relevant relationships by Verushka Bedi, source=Web Response No relevant relationships by Bhanusowmya Buragamadagu, source=Web Response No relevant relationships by eugene choi, source=Web Response No relevant relationships by SANA MULLA, source=Web Response No relevant relationships by Mahati Paravathaneni, source=Web Response No relevant relationships by Rajesh Thirumaran, source=Web Response No relevant relationships by Vihitha Thota, source=Web Response