Conference Lecture Research Articles

Empowering Global Hematology-Oncology Education: Assessing the Impact of a 1.5-Year Virtual Platform in Combating Miseducation & Inequity

Introduction Social media has revolutionized the global sharing of knowledge, with 77.4% of cancer patients relying on it as their primary medical information resource, especially in resource-limited regions (Ponce et alJCO). However, due to its rapid and unregulated nature, 1/3 of social media posts contain misinformation, with 76.9% of them containing harmful information leading to adverse outcomes. To address this, MedNews Week (MNW), a digital medical education platform dedicated to combating misinformation, was developed to contribute to global hematology-oncology education through its free programming. The Keynote Conference Lecture Series features live virtual presentations from oncology's premier global leaders discussing the latest developments in the field before a mainstream global audience. The aim of this study was to assess the worldwide reach and impact of this virtual oncology education platform. Methods From January 2022 to July 2023, MNW hosted 15 global hematology-oncology leaders (Mean H-index = 73.2) as Keynote Speakers. Viewership, impressions, and outreach data were collected from MNW's social media accounts, Symplur and TweepMaps. Data was analyzed to assess MNW's global viewership, reach, and engagement and stratified based on engagement sentiment, gender, age group, and occupation. Results In 2022, MNW produced a Healthcare Social Graph Score of 92.77%, placing it in the top 7.33 percentile of global healthcare influencers. Over a 12-month period, MNW generated more than 109,128 Twitter impressions with 4,731 engagements, reaching 1.9 million accounts globally ( Figure 1a). A large proportion of followers (73.44%) were from non-healthcare fields with slightly more males than females. The viewership showed a linear exponential increase from 20,527 (6 months) to 50,707 (1 Year) to 290,532 (1.5 Years) ( Figure 1b). The platform's outreach spanned over 150 cities and 70 countries, with 23 of these countries categorized as low-to-middle socioeconomic regions ( Figure 1c). Conclusion Given MNW's performance, it provides a novel model for engaging and disseminating medical information while attracting and sustaining a diverse, global, and growing audience. The platform's ability to spotlight the work of global leaders in the field, free of charge, particularly in lower SE regions, offers a promising approach to combat hematology-oncology educational inequity. Thus, MNW presents an opportunity to inspire audiences worldwide to be proactive, well-informed, and engaged, while narrowing the divide in oncology education.

318 Advancing Surgery in Africa Through Education, Mentorship and Research; the Surgery Interest Group of Africa (SIGAf)

Abstract Aim Peer-to-peer surgical education has improved remarkably over the last decade with the aid of interest groups and charity organisations such as ASiT, IncisioN, NANSIG, and StarSURG. Despite these advances, there remains a lack of collaborative interest groups tailored to improving surgical education in Africa. The Surgery Interest Group of Africa (SIGAf) was established in response, and this study assesses its benefits in research, education, and mentorship. Method Feedback data from over 20 virtual sessions grouped into six categories over seven months in 2022 were analysed in this study. The categories included the surgical conference (Exposure to African Surgery), Career talks, Surgical lecture series, Exam preparation lectures, Research and audit lectures and Journal club activities. Data on participant confidence levels, helpfulness, engagement, and interest in the lecture content were examined using a 5-point Likert scale. Results 705 responses were recorded across the six categories. The participants’ confidence level increased from an indeterminate pre-session to a statistically significant fairly confident level post-session. The attendees perceived the conference, career talks, lecture series, and journal club activities as helpful and had the highest level of interest. The surgical conference, career talk and surgical lecture series all had a reasonably good engagement. Conclusions This study has shown that the virtual sessions held by the Surgery Interest Group of Africa aimed at advancing surgery across the continent through education, mentorship, and research have achieved reasonable success.

The 2023 A. Hamblin Letton Lecture, Southeastern Surgical Conference Lecture "Choices Matter in Cancer Surgery: A Life's Journey".

Attaining a successful career in cancer surgery depends on many choices. In this paper based on the Letton Lecture from the 2023 Southeastern Surgical Conference, Dr. Jennifer Tseng reflects on the choices that enabled her current work.

From the President and IFST News

From the President and <scp>IFST</scp> News

Perspectives from the Royal Society of Medicine One Health: The Missing Link Conference and Soulsby Lecture 2021

Abstract The term One Health encompasses the medicine of humans, animals, the environment and the interrelations between them. There has been substantial progress in recognising the importance of collective agreements and thinking in healthcare and preventative medicine, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, with amplified acknowledgement of the role zoonoses increasingly play in our global health system. The 2021 Royal Society of Medicine’s One Health: The Missing Link conference brought together subject experts from across medical specialties to discuss cultures of coworking, key challenges and the future vision of One Health both nationally and on a global scale. This perspective article aims to summarise the discussions arising from the event, and highlights particular challenges in medical education, public and global health policy, antimicrobial resistance and stewardship and environmental medicine. This article will serve to consolidate the outcomes of this event and generate dialogue between clinical and non-clinical stakeholders within the One Health space. One Health Impact Statement This article summarises the discussions and contributions of the 2021 Royal Society of Medicine One Health symposium and linked events. Major discussion points are described including antimicrobial resistance, training of human and animal clinicians, the link to environmental medicine, and positioning one health efforts within the wider third sector. We outline current challenges in unifying a One Health approach as well as offering perspectives for collaboration and interdisciplinary work.

1116. AIMS-trained Residents Exhibit Specific Communication Skills in a Standardized Patient Model of Vaccine Hesitancy

BackgroundVaccine hesitancy (VH) is one of the top 10 threats to global public health. While VH is common among parents, there are no accepted best practices for counseling, and training in this area is not required in residency. Strategies are needed to help providers address VH in practice.MethodsThe AIMS (Announce, Inquire, Mirror, Secure) Method for Healthy Conversations is a structured communication strategy that attempts to build trust between provider and patient (or parent), inviting receptivity to healthcare recommendations. To assess whether relatively inexperienced providers exhibit AIMS behaviors after training, blinded pediatric residents were pseudo-randomized to receive either AIMS or control training. Subjects underwent pre- and post-training clinical encounters with blinded standardized patients (SPs) portraying vaccine-hesitant parents; encounters were video-recorded and assessed by 3 blinded raters using the Vaccine Hesitancy Communication Assessment (VHCA) tool, which was developed by an iterative process and validated in pilot testing. Subject confidence was assessed pre- and post-training.ResultsOverall VHCA intraclass correlation was 0.273 for pre and 0.681 for post encounters (2-way mixed averages); reliability varied with AIMS phases. Fifty-eight subjects completed the protocol, and VHCA ratings for 29 subjects were available for this analysis. AIMS behaviors were more commonly detected among AIMS-trained subjects than control (median change in score [scale 0–30]=4.5 versus 0 for control) (Figure 1). Confidence improved in both groups (Figure 2). SPs perceived no differences between groups, nor between pre and post within groups, in aspects of subject performance such as respect, empathy, and promotion of trust (P=0.936 [ANCOVA]; partial eta-squared 0.0).Figure 1 Figure 2 ConclusionPediatric residents can be trained in AIMS behaviors, and an SP model of VH can be used to assess performance. AIMS training results in similar gains in self-confidence compared to control training. SP perceptions may be colored by their script, which in this case was to exhibit adamant vaccine refusal. Testing of AIMS training in longitudinal experimental scenarios and in real-world settings is warranted.Disclosures Kristina A. Bryant, MD, Pfizer (Research Grant or Support, Investigator on multi-center clinical trials) Gary S. Marshall, MD, GlaxoSmithKline (Consultant, Scientific Research Study Investigator)Merck (Consultant, Scientific Research Study Investigator)Pfizer (Consultant, Scientific Research Study Investigator)Sanofi Pasteur (Consultant, Grant/Research Support, Scientific Research Study Investigator, Honorarium for conference lecture)Seqirus (Consultant, Scientific Research Study Investigator)

1386. Current Estimates of the Impact of Routine Childhood Immunizations in Reducing Vaccine-Preventable Diseases in the United States

BackgroundRoutine immunizations for children aged 10 years and younger in the United States (US) currently cover 14 diseases. Updated estimates of public health impact are needed, given changes in disease epidemiology, evolving recommendations, and the dynamic nature of compliance with the immunization schedule.MethodsPre-vaccine disease incidence was estimated before each routine vaccine was recommended, with average values across multiple years obtained directly from published literature or calculated based on disease surveillance data or annual case estimates from the published literature. Pre-vaccine incidence then was compared to current, post-vaccine incidence, which was generally calculated as average values over the most recent 5 years of available incidence data. Overall incidence estimates and estimates by age group were calculated. Differences in pre- and post-vaccine disease incidence rates were used to calculate the annual number of cases averted, based on 2019 US population estimates. This analysis did not separately estimate the proportion of disease incidence reduction that may be attributed to adult vaccines or booster doses.ResultsPost-vaccine disease incidence decreased overall and for all age groups across all diseases evaluated (Table 1). Decreases ranged from 17.4% for influenza to 100.0% for polio (Figure 1). Over 90% reduction in incidence was achieved for 10 of the 14 diseases evaluated (including reduction in incidence of rotavirus hospitalizations). Overall post-vaccine disease incidence estimates were highest for influenza, rotavirus, and varicella. Estimated annual cases averted by vaccination in 2019 ranged from 1,269 for tetanus to more than 4.2 million for varicella.Table 1. Pre- and Post-Vaccine Disease Incidence Estimates, Annual Cases, and 2019 Cases Averted, by Disease Figure 1. Percentage Reduction in Disease Incidence Post-Vaccine, by Disease ConclusionRoutine childhood immunization in the US continues to result in high, sustained reduction in disease across all vaccines and for all age groups evaluated.DisclosuresElizabeth M. La, PhD, RTI Health Solutions (Employee) Justin Carrico, BS, GlaxoSmithKline (Consultant) Sandra E. Talbird, MSPH, RTI Health Solutions (Employee) Ya-Ting Chen, PhD, Merck & Co., Inc. (Employee, Shareholder) Mawuli K. Nyaku, DrPh, Merck & Co. Inc. (Employee, Shareholder) Cristina Carias, PhD, Merck (Employee, Shareholder) Gary S. Marshall, MD, GlaxoSmithKline (Consultant, Scientific Research Study Investigator)Merck (Consultant, Scientific Research Study Investigator)Pfizer (Consultant, Scientific Research Study Investigator)Sanofi Pasteur (Consultant, Grant/Research Support, Scientific Research Study Investigator, Honorarium for conference lecture)Seqirus (Consultant, Scientific Research Study Investigator) Craig S. Roberts, PharmD, MPA, MBA, Merck & Co., Inc (Employee, Shareholder)

26. Factors Associated with Meningococcal Vaccination among Patients with Newly Diagnosed High-Risk Conditions

BackgroundVaccination is recommended for persons at increased risk for invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) due to complement component deficiency (CD), asplenia or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. However, uptake of quadrivalent conjugate and polysaccharide meningococcal vaccines (MenACWY) one year following a new high-risk diagnosis is very low (doi:10.1093/ofid/ofz360.2403). This retrospective cohort study identified factors associated with MenACWY vaccination among patients newly diagnosed with CD or HIV.MethodsPatients identified from a large US commercial administrative claims database (Optum Research Database) with continuous enrollment for ≥12 months before and ≥6 months after appearance of an incident high-risk diagnosis through the end of the study period (3/31/2018) were considered eligible (Figure). Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to identify characteristics associated with time to receipt of ≥1 dose of MenACWY during time periods corresponding with Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommendations.FigureStudy Design SchematicResultsThe CD cohort consisted of 1,470 (mean=40.9 years of age) patients and the HIV cohort of 1,208 (38.8 years). Only 7.9% and 20.8% of patients with CD or HIV, respectively, received ≥1 dose of MenACWY between their index date and the end of the study period. A strong association between receipt of MenACWY and pneumococcal vaccines was seen for CD [hazard ratio (HR): 3.2; 95% CI: 1.8–5.7] and HIV [23.0; 13.9–38.1]. Age (11–18 years; for CD only) and having a well-care visit after the index date (for CD and HIV) was associated with higher likelihood of vaccination. Vaccination rates for HIV were lowest in the South.ConclusionThe association of MenACWY vaccination with age in patients with CD suggests confusion between routine age-based and high-risk recommendations, whereas in patients with CD or HIV, the association with pneumococcal vaccines suggests that providers recognize the overlap in risk factors for IMD and pneumococcal disease. Ensuring healthcare access for these vulnerable patients and educating providers about high-risk recommendations is crucial.FundingGlaxoSmithKline Biologicals SA (study identifier: HO-18-19581)Disclosures Parinaz Ghaswalla, PhD, ORCID: 0000-0002-2883-5590, GlaxoSmithKline (Employee, Shareholder) Lindsay Bengtson, PhD, MPH, Optum (Employee, I am an employee of Optum. Optum was paid by GSK for this work. My employment at Optum is not contingent upon this work.) Gary S. Marshall, MD, GlaxoSmithKline (Consultant, Scientific Research Study Investigator)Merck (Consultant, Scientific Research Study Investigator)Pfizer (Consultant, Scientific Research Study Investigator)Sanofi Pasteur (Consultant, Grant/Research Support, Scientific Research Study Investigator, Honorarium for conference lecture)Seqirus (Consultant, Scientific Research Study Investigator) Ami R. Buikema, MPH, Optum (Employee, I am an employee of Optum. Optum was paid by GSK for this work. My employment at Optum is not contingent upon this work.) Tim Bancroft, PhD, Optum (Employee, I am an employee of Optum. Optum was paid by GSK for this work. My employment at Optum is not contingent upon this work.) Krista Schladweiler, PhD, Optum (Employee, I am an employee of Optum. Optum was paid by GSK for this work. My employment at Optum is not contingent upon this work.) Eleena Koep, MS, Optum (Employee) Patricia Novy, PhD, GSK (Employee, Shareholder) Cosmina Hogea, PhD, GlaxoSmithKline (Employee, Shareholder)

Fiume és a nemzetiségi egyenjogúság tárgyában hozott 1868. évi XLIV. törvénycikk

Fiume (current official name: Rijeka) became part of Hungary in 1779 as a “corpus separatum”. At the time of the so-called provision, after 1870, the legal system of the port city developed in a special way. Although the Hungarian government took over the administration of the city again, this did not mean the automatic reception and application of the entire Hungarian legal system. Some Hungarian laws were not later enacted in Fiume. The article prepared on the basis of the conference lecture in Cluj-Napoca (Sapientia Hungarian University of Transylvania) intends to review the issues of legal interpretation of the applicability of Act XLIV of 1868 on National Equality by using descriptive method, taking into account legal history and legal theory aspects.

Teaching ESP online during the COVID-19 pandemic: An account of Argentinian students on this teaching modality

In today’s world, the language par excellence in written and oral communication in all the spheres of commerce, business, education and science is English (Swales, 1990). Undeniably, this is the most widely chosen language for communication in academic settings among nonnative speakers who share neither a common first language nor a common culture to carry out scientific interactions such as delivering a conference or university lecture, submitting a grant proposal, or writing a paper or dissertation, presenting a conference poster, to name just a few (Seildhofer, 2006). In many countries in which English is not the native language, most universities and institutions of higher learning adopt an approach called ESP (English for Specific Purposes) for English language teaching. ESP consists of tailoring language instruction to meet the needs of learners who belong to particular disciplines or professions and studies the language appropriate to such activities. Most universities have included ESP programs as part of their syllabuses because they acknowledge the importance of helping non-native speakers of English “master the functions and linguistic conventions of texts that they need to read and write in their disciplines and professions” (Hyon, 1996, p. 698). At the National University of San Luis, since the first years of any course of study, students are exposed to different genres which are published in English. This means that their exposure to the language starts at an early stage of instruction. In general, classes are face-to-face and in a classroom that is fit to that aim. Unfortunately, due to an unexpected pandemic, instruction was forced to adopt a different course. In this paper, we attempt to give an account of how the teaching of ESP is taking place under the circumstances we are facing due to COVID-19. We have changed our methodology so as to meet the demands of the students and the university alike. We administered a questionnaire to know the perceptions and opinions of our students as regards the material, teacher performance, testing, and online modality adopted. Results suggest that the opinions are divided as regards non-face to face or face-to-face teaching modality. Although many students prefer virtuality because of the time flexibility it provides, others assert that nothing is more valuable than teacher and classmates interaction.

Polly L. Arnold

Polly L. Arnold

Conference lecture: Electrophysiological diagnosis of inflammatory demyelinating neuropathies

Electrophysiology plays a crucial role in the characterization and diagnosis of peripheral neuropathies. It provides insight in the type and mechanism of peripheral neuropathy by giving information on the spatial pattern, the fibre type involved, pathology (axonal, demyelinating), and the severity and time course. Inflammatory demyelinating neuropathies constitute a significant proportion of the acquired peripheral neuropathies. They include Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS), chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP), multifocal motor neuropathy (MMN), multifocal demyelinating neuropathy with persistent conduction block (Lewis-Sumner syndrome), and paraproteinemic neuropathies. A proper diagnosis as early as possible is very important because timely immune treatment can largely reduce morbidity and disability. The diagnosis is based on a constellation of clinical and laboratory features, including electrophysiological studies, spinal fluid examination, and in selected cases serological studies and peripheral nerve biopsy. Electrophysiological studies are key in the early detection and characterization of inflammatory demyelinating neuropathies and in differentiating these from primary axonal neuropathies. In CIDP, electrophysiological criteria for demyelination are designed to exclude abnormalities that can be explained by axonal degeneration (Eur J Neurol 2010). Therefore, lesser degrees of demyelination cannot be defined with certainty. Optimised electrophysiological criteria are capable, however, to support the diagnosis with different levels of probability (possible, probable, definite) in the very large majority of cases. In GBS, much effort has gone into developing criteria which can distinguish axonal and demyelinating subtypes. The discovery of reversible conduction failure (RCF) has led to the concept of nodopathy/paranodopathy, where conduction slowing and conduction block are due to the immune attack mainly at the nodal axolemma level. There is no actual demyelinisation as defined pathologically and if the immune attack continues, conduction failure may not reverse and axonal degeneration will ensue. Recent electrophysiological studies support this pathophysiological mechanism and show that the dichotomous distinction between axonal and demyelinating in GBS is not tenable (Muscle nerve, 2018).

Unpopular Opinions

The turmoil in government and the resulting uncertainty with respect to health care financing have created a unique and unfortunate environment. Health care and business media, including the health care conference lecture circuits and health policy Twitterverse, are a morass of ungrounded opinions with varying degrees of accuracy and historical support. In my humble opinion, many of these hot takes, analyses, and “how to plan for your future” articles tend toward providing comfort as opposed to embracing unpleasant truths. As a self-appointed militant pragmatist and itinerant daydreamer, I would like to share with you some of my unpopular opinions, all of which contain truths that are important to our collective futures.

Feasibility of a Comprehensive Medical Knowledge Curriculum in Internal Medicine Using Team-Based Learning.

Team-based learning (TBL) is an active learning strategy with descriptions of its use in resident education limited to pilot studies. We developed a comprehensive medical knowledge TBL curriculum for an internal medicine residency, and assessed feasibility. We developed a 135-topic TBL curriculum to replace a noon conference lecture series, and implemented it over a 3-year period (2013-2016). In this article we describe the planning, curricular design, faculty recruitment and development, and lesson structure. We assessed feasibility in terms of faculty participation, resident preparedness, resident and faculty satisfaction, and costs. Most faculty initially were unfamiliar with TBL. Through faculty resource materials and flexible faculty development, participating faculty increased from 3 to 74. In a 2015 faculty survey (N = 64, 69% response rate), 73% (32 of 44) reported faculty development was adequate, 70% (31 of 44) indicated lesson preparation time reasonable, and 95% (42 of 44) reported preparation materials were helpful. A 2016 resident survey (N = 89, 72% response rate) revealed that most residents completed reading assignments in advance, 78% (50 of 64) found readings manageable, and 77% (49 of 64) felt they learned better from TBL compared to lectures. Costs included compensated time for 1 faculty TBL "champion" and an assistant. Implementing a comprehensive medical knowledge curriculum using TBL in an internal medicine residency was feasible, and resulted in high faculty acceptance and learner satisfaction. Departmental support of a TBL champion, flexible faculty development, and well-designed resource materials were determinants of success.

Infinite Now by Chaya Czernowin, Vlaamse Opera, Ghent, Belgium

On the evening of 18 April 2017, the world premiere of Chaya Czernowin's highly anticipated new opera, Infinite Now, was performed at Vlaamse Opera Ghent, Belgium. The ambience of the venue was buzzing, highly charged, electrical – a visceral state that seemed contextually appropriate for the lengthy 2.5-hour experience (without intermission) ahead. Programmed as part of the Opera Ballet Vlaanderen 2016–17 ‘Borderline’ series, the set-up and contour of the pre-concert events became eerily symbolic: a large, grandiose, guarded door separated the rooms holding the press conference and pre-concert lecture, through which the composer would eventually pass toward the latter to conclude: ‘[t]he power to continue, that is what [the opera] is all about. It is not the power to be happy or to be sad. … It is much more morass, elemental and existential. The power to continue’. In an instant, the strong ring of emergency sirens then happened to pierce and penetrate from the world beyond – a rather poignant signal to declare the doors to the first performance officially open.

English

OAI-PMH-enabled open source digital library software, such as DSpace, EPrints, VuFind, Drupal OAI harvester, and PKP harvester, have made it possible to harvest massive metadata from different IDRs. IT brought new hope and opportunities for providing various new services to our library users. This article attempts to explore the tools, techniques, and significant challenges for largescale metadata harvesting and metadata curation. A recent bibliographic study of Scopus has shown that there is a rapid increase in publication of articles over the last two decades. “A total of 25, 482 publications represent the literary output in different formats, in different subjects, and from various nations” (ul Ajaz Wani and Gul 2008). All these preprint academic research documents, such as conference papers, journal articles, annual reports, protocols, and lecture notes may be already uploaded or need to be uploaded in various institutional digital repositories (IDRs) for long-term digital preservation and reuse. In this study, we have harvested the metadata from different such IDRs into a centrally indexed repository for providing a single window search box. Therefore, with this, we may dream that the day is not far away when we will not need any e-resource subscriptions, as those will be available in our IDR. It will indeed be a great achievement and will be extremely helpful to the academic community. However, along with this, a continuous metadata curation is a major intermediate phase, which focusses on the proper mapping of data to metadata. Programmatic curation and manual curation are the two processes conducted for final curation of the harvested metadata, where both have their own merits and demerits. This article further focusses on the process workflow of metadata data curation, and the possible challenges to be managed by the librarian for proper indexing of the items.

Advantages and limitations of ceramic packaging technologies in harsh applications

Abstract Rising operating temperatures, environmental restrictions, harsh conditions around our electronics, shortage of space, expectations for long-term reliability and cost are some of the driving forces we all have to deal with during electronics design. While microelectronics and semiconductor industries are running in Moore's beat bringing out impressively small analog, digital or MEMS chips, their packaging is more often the actual challenge for developers and system designers. Advancing systems-on-package, smart sensors, modules for signal processing under extreme conditions need special packaging technologies and materials as well. There, at the front of the application sector, the availability of striking silicon dies alone does not automatically deliver solutions for some advanced applications. Some of the drawbacks with traditional PCB's and housings can be resolved using ceramic boards and suitable connection technologies. A good combination of miniaturization potential and advantageous characteristics from ceramic materials is given with ceramic multilayer boards, which are available in various types. The conference lecture will show an overview about advantages and handicaps of materials, components and technologies. Traditional thick film, LTCC and HTCC as well as thin films on ceramic carriers will be illuminated in terms of pro's and con's from compatibility, cost, performance and availability points of view. Finally ceramic packages have to be technologically completed by suitable interconnection techniques, where wire bonding, adhesive bonding and soldering are just a choice of, each of them in many versions that fit to the specific requirements and to best possible connections.

Text Messaging in Medical Education

Today’s medical students and residents are from the first generation of digital natives: those who grew up with cell phones, text messaging, and the Internet. They are comfortable with e-innovation,1 are increasingly disengaged from traditional teaching methods within medical schools and residency programs, and are quick to embrace new teaching technologies. Students instead stream lectures from home, use electronic devices to access medical journals online, and use “smart” phone applications during rounds. Adapting teaching methods within medical schools and residencies to connect with this generation of e-learners is challenging. Text messaging (short message service) offers a method of bridging the gap between traditional teaching styles and the educational styles of millennial learners because of its ease, familiarity, and asynchronous nature. Among adults aged 18 to 29 years, 94% own a cell phone, and of those, 97% send and receive text messages.2 Some residency programs even provide trainees with smart phones.3 The prevalence, acceptance, and low cost of text messaging make it particularly inviting as a potentially high-yield learning tool in medical education. Texting has already become a well-accepted way to communicate with and engage students in high school and undergraduate settings, with a variety of platforms available for teachers.4–6 Teachers may use text messages to remind students about assignments, to deliver rapid-fire surveys or quizzes during class, or to conduct course-wide discussions (either within or outside the standard classroom period).7 Texting platforms are unique in that they allow participants to ask questions or discuss topics via the comfort of anonymity, which may promote participation and enhance learning.8 This form of feedback direct from one’s mobile phone is popular. Texting that occurs directly between learner and teacher, although it may not afford anonymity to the student from the teacher, … Address correspondence to Matthew A. Broom, MD, Department of Pediatrics, Saint Louis University School of Medicine at SSM Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center, 1465 S Grand Blvd, St Louis, MO 63104. E-mail: broomma{at}slu.edu

Understanding Resident Learning Preferences Within an Internal Medicine Noon Conference Lecture Series: A Qualitative Study

Understanding Resident Learning Preferences Within an Internal Medicine Noon Conference Lecture Series: A Qualitative Study

Understanding Resident Learning Preferences Within an Internal Medicine Noon Conference Lecture Series: A Qualitative Study

The lecture remains the most common approach for didactic offerings in residency programs despite conflicting evidence about the effectiveness of this format. The purpose of this study was to explore the perspectives of internal medicine residents toward conferences held in the lecture format. The investigators invited internal medicine residents (N = 144) to participate in focus groups discussing their perspectives about noon conference lectures. The investigators used a semistructured guide to ask about motivations for attendance and effectiveness of noon conferences, transcribed the recordings, coded the discussions, and analyzed the results. Seven focus groups with a total of 41 residents were held. This identified 4 major domains: (1) motivations for attendance; (2) appropriate content; (3) effective teaching methods; and (4) perspectives on active participation. Residents' motivations were categorized into external factors, including desire for a break and balance to their workload, and intrinsic attributes, including the learning opportunity, topic, and speaker. Appropriate content was described as clinically relevant, practical, and presenting a balance of evidence. Identified effective teaching methods included shorter teaching sessions focused on high-yield learning points structured around cases and questions. While active participation increases residents' perceived level of stress, the benefits of this format include increased attention and learning. This study furthers our knowledge of the learning preferences of internal medicine residents within the changing environment of residency education and can be used in conjunction with principles of adult learning to reform how we deliver core medical knowledge.