Education Pilot Research Articles

157 Transitions: A Financial Wellness Education Pilot Curriculum for Emergency Medicine Residents

157 Transitions: A Financial Wellness Education Pilot Curriculum for Emergency Medicine Residents

Developing a community-based, multicultural-friendly prenatal education pilot program

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the acceptability, availability and sustainability of a pilot prenatal program developed by an interdisciplinary team. Methods: Out of 19 multicultural women participated in the 6-session prenatal program, 6 women took part in an exit- focus group interview as a part of formative evaluation. The verbatim transcriptions of semi-structured interview data were analyzed using conventional content analysis. Results: In general, the participants expressed high satisfaction with program content, educators and education methods. A hybrid model including health professionals and community health workers and using online and offline education modes was suggested as a way to disseminate the program at a national level. Interventions using aesthetic approaches such as music and an integrated method such as the introduction of available social services in pregnancy and during the postpartum period may play a role as the facilitator of the program participation of multicultural women. These approaches may also help them develop healthy coping skills, problem solving skills and empowerment in multicultural childbearing women who need to adjust to life in a new country simultaneously taking a new role as a mother. Conclusion: An interdisciplinary prenatal program using a holistic approach contributes to enhancing multicultural women’s empowerment to become a mother in a new country.

Student involvement and innovative teaching methods in a biophilic design education pilot elective course in interior architecture

Biophilic design has gained popularity in interior design areas owing to its numerous advantages. Nevertheless, globally, Interior Architecture/Interior Architecture and Environmental Design departments lack adequate biophilic design courses in their curricula. This research investigates the impact of involving students in syllabus design and applying innovative teaching methods in a pilot elective course focused on biophilic design in interior spaces on student engagement and course sustainability. A new pilot elective course was introduced in the 2022–2023 Spring Semester at the Interior Architecture Department, Faculty of Architecture, Near East University, aiming to establish an enduring and captivating learning environment for students. Initially, a focus group study was conducted to measure students’ awareness of biophilic design and integrate their ideas regarding innovative learning methods into the syllabus for an engaging elective course. Strategies like interactive learning tools, group tasks, and peer assessments were incorporated throughout the course to enhance engagement. Analysis of end-of-course surveys and student observations revealed an augmented awareness of biophilic design among students and a positive influence of innovative learning methods on course sustainability. Thus, the study suggests that an elective course offers the potential to mitigate the deficiency of biophilic design integration in undergraduate programs, augmenting students’ awareness in this field. Moreover, new elective courses could deliver more sustainable and engaging learning experiences for enrolled students when structured through student involvement and innovative learning methods.

A Pilot Interprofessional Education Curriculum for Optimizing Mental Health in Chronic Pain Treatment and Understanding Interprofessional Practice.

With the urgent need for clinicians capable of responding to the opioid crisis, an interprofessional education (IPE) pilot curriculum was launched to assess trainee self-efficacy in managing chronic pain and mental health conditions, and attitudes toward interprofessional practice among resident physicians, family nurse practitioners (FNP), and physician assistant (PA) students. This study involved the implementation of a pilot curriculum consisting of five interactive IPE sessions. All invited trainees across two academic institutions were asked to complete the assessments. Self-efficacy in managing chronic pain and mental health was measured at baseline and following IPE training using a researcher-developed tool, while attitudes toward interprofessional practice were measured with the Attitudes Toward Health Care Teams scale. Resident physicians were compared to FNP/PA students to examine differences between groups and within groups over time. The final analysis involved 25 trainees who attended at least one IPE training session and completed pre-session and post-session surveys. The total pre-session survey and post-session survey response rate was 37.5% (n=36). Self-efficacy in chronic pain management improved among the resident physician (mean=3.85 ±0.40) and FNP/PA groups (mean=3.84±0.46) (p=0.05 and p=0.001), respectively. Self-efficacy in mental health management was not significantly improved among resident physicians (mean=3.41±0.49, p=0.48), but improved among FNP/PA students (mean=3.46±0.31, p<0.001). There was no difference in attitudes toward interprofessional practice. While IPE training did not result in attitudinal changes toward interprofessional practice, it shows potential for improving self-efficacy in managing chronic pain and mental health, particularly among FNP/PA trainees. This study was limited by a small sample size of trainees included in the finalanalysis.

Deploying a metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis consensus care pathway: findings from an educational pilot in three health systems

BackgroundMetabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), formerly referred to as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, impacts 30% of the global population. This educational pilot focused on the role primary care providers may play in the delivery of guidelines-based metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) care.ObjectiveAccelerate the application of guidelines-based MASH care pathways to clinical workflows.MethodsA panel of six hepatologists was convened in 2021 to develop the care pathway and the subsequent pilot occurred between 2022 – 2023. The pilot was conducted across three U.S. health systems: Boston Medical Center (Boston), Methodist Health System (Dallas), and Weill Cornell Medicine (New York). Clinicians were educated on the care pathway and completed baseline/follow-up assessments. 19 primary care clinicians participated in the educational pilot baseline assessment, nine primary care clinicians completed the two-month assessment, and 15 primary care clinicians completed the four-month assessment. The primary endpoint was to assess clinician-reported adherence to and satisfaction with the care pathway. The pilot was deemed exempt by the Western Consensus Group Institutional Review Board.ResultsAt baseline, 38.10% (n = 8) of respondents felt they had received sufficient training on when to refer a patient suspected of metabolic dysfunction-associated liver disease to hepatology, and 42.86% (n = 9) had not referred any patients suspected of metabolic dysfunction-associated liver disease to hepatology within a month. At four months post-intervention, 79% (n = 15) of respondents agreed or strongly agreed they received sufficient training on when to refer a patient suspected of metabolic dysfunction-associated liver disease to hepatology, and there was a 25.7% increase in self-reported adherence to the institution’s referral guidelines. Barriers to care pathway adherence included burden of manually calculating fibrosis-4 scores and difficulty ordering non-invasive diagnostics.ConclusionsWith therapeutics anticipated to enter the market this year, health systems leadership must consider opportunities to streamline the identification, referral, and management of patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis. Electronic integration of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis care pathways may address implementation challenges.

One Size Does Not Fit All: A Multifaceted Approach to Educate Families about Newborn Screening.

All families deserve access to readily available, accurate, and relevant information to help them navigate the newborn screening system. Current practices, limited resources, and a siloed newborn screening system create numerous challenges for both providers and families to implement educational opportunities to engage families in ways that meet their needs with relevant and meaningful approaches. Engaging families in newborn screening, especially those from historically underserved communities, is necessary to increase knowledge and confidence which leads to overall improved outcomes for families. This article describes three strategies that the Navigate Newborn Screening Program developed, tested, and implemented in the United States, including online learning modules, a prenatal education pilot program, and social media awareness campaign, as well as the extent to which they were successful in reaching and educating families about newborn screening. Using quality improvement methods and evidence-driven approaches, each of these three strategies demonstrate promising practices for advancing awareness, knowledge, and self-efficacy for families navigating the newborn screening system-particularly families in medically underserved and underrepresented communities. A model for bidirectional engagement of families is outlined to support scaling and implementing promising educational efforts for both providers and families in the newborn screening system.

A longitudinal, palliative care educational pilot in hematology-oncology fellowship training.

9007 Background: Despite national guidelines advocating that patients (pts) with advanced cancer receive dedicated palliative care (PC) services, many pts lack access to specialty PC, due to PC workforce shortage. Training hematology-oncologists (HOs) to provide primary PC could close this gap and ensure basic PC needs of pts are met. While HO fellowships require demonstration of competence in PC skills, studies have shown major deficits in PC knowledge, educational experiences and confidence. We designed a longitudinal, integrated, PC continuity rotation for HO fellows. We report feasibility, acceptability, perceived value, and impact on knowledge and practice of this novel educational model. Methods: Over 6 months, HO fellows identified patients with PC needs from their HO continuity practice and referred them to PC clinic. Fellows then saw those pts in PC clinic with the PC attending and in HO clinic with the HO attending, as well as during hospitalizations. Pt visits and HO fellow participation were tracked for feasibility. Fellows were surveyed before and after the rotation on skill confidence and knowledge, which were compared using generalized linear models for unmatched data. After the rotation, they were surveyed on acceptability and teaching quality; they also participated in a semi-structured interview assessing educational value. Fellows electronically gave informed consent for participation; the project was approved by the institutional IRB. Results: From 2018-2023, 19 fellows from 3 HO fellowship classes participated. All 19 referred 2-4 of their continuity oncology pts to the PC team and then followed these pts in both clinics longitudinally over 6 months. A total of 51 pts (#fellows-#pts: 9-2 pts; 7-3 pts; 3-4 pts) had a total of 132 PC visits. Fellows participated in 125/132 PC visits (95%); the majority were outpatient (94/132; 71%). From pre to post intervention, there was an improvement in fellows’ PC knowledge (mean 6.44/10 to 7.92, p&lt;0.01) and overall feeling of preparedness to provide PC (mean 6.33/10 to 7.75, p&lt;0.01). Ratings of skill confidence improved in 14 of 26 items (p&lt;0.05), including titration of opioids, managing pain in pts with substance use disorder, recognizing when to consider methadone, and working with an interdisciplinary team. Of 17 fellows rating acceptability, 16 (94%) rated the rotation as valuable or extremely valuable, 15 (88%) agreed or strongly agreed the rotation structure was effective, and 17 (100%) agreed or strongly agreed the rotation both changed their clinical practice and helped them feel more engaged in working with their sickest pts. Conclusions: Our pilot study of a novel, longitudinal, integrated, PC continuity rotation for HO fellows was highly feasible and acceptable. The rotation changed clinical practice and improved fellows’ PC knowledge and skill confidence. This could serve as a model for integrating PC education into HO fellowships nationally.

Using artificial intelligence chatbots to improve patient history taking in dental education (Pilot study).

Using artificial intelligence chatbots to improve patient history taking in dental education (Pilot study).

Evaluation and students’ perception of a health equity education program in physical therapy: a mixed methods pilot study

BackgroundHealth equity is a common theme discussed in health professions education, yet only some researchers have addressed it in entry-level education.PurposeThe purpose of this study is to serve as an educational intervention pilot to 1) evaluate students’ perception of the effectiveness of the DPT program in providing a foundation for health equity education, with or without the benefit of a supplemental resource and 2) establishing priorities for the program related to educating students on health inequities in physical therapy clinical practice.A mixed method design with a focus-group interview was utilized to explore students’ perceptions of the DPT program's commitment to advancing health equity.MethodsA three-staged sequential mixed methods study was conducted. Stage 1 began with quantitative data collection after completing the DEI Bundle utilizing the Tripod DEI survey. Stage 2 involved identifying themes from the Tripod Survey data and creating semi-structured interview questions. Stage 3 consisted of a focus group interview process.ResultsA total of 78 students completed the Tripod DEI survey upon completing 70% of the curriculum. Thirty-five students, eight core faculty, 13 associated faculty, and four clinical instructors completed the APTA DEI Bundle Course Series. According to the Tripod DEI Survey results, program stakeholders found the program’s commitment to DEI and overall climate to be inclusive, fair, caring, safe, welcoming, and understanding of individuals from different backgrounds, including a sense of student belonging where students feel valued and respected. Three themes emerged from the qualitative focus group interviews, including the value of inclusivity, health equity curricular foundations, and DEI in entry-level DPT education.ConclusionsThis study highlights the value of incorporating health equity and DEI topics into curricula while fostering an incluse program culture.

A randomized controlled educational pilot trial of interictal epileptiform discharge identification for neurology residents.

To assess the effectiveness of an educational program leveraging technology-enhanced learning and retrieval practice to teach trainees how to correctly identify interictal epileptiform discharges (IEDs). This was a bi-institutional prospective randomized controlled educational trial involving junior neurology residents. The intervention consisted of three video tutorials focused on the six IFCN criteria for IED identification and rating 500 candidate IEDs with instant feedback either on a web browser (intervention 1) or an iOS app (intervention 2). The control group underwent no educational intervention ("inactive control"). All residents completed a survey and a test at the onset and offset of the study. Performance metrics were calculated for each participant. Twenty-one residents completed the study: control (n = 8); intervention 1 (n = 6); intervention 2 (n = 7). All but two had no prior EEG experience. Intervention 1 residents improved from baseline (mean) in multiple metrics including AUC (.74; .85; p < .05), sensitivity (.53; .75; p < .05), and level of confidence (LOC) in identifying IEDs/committing patients to therapy (1.33; 2.33; p < .05). Intervention 2 residents improved in multiple metrics including AUC (.81; .86; p < .05) and LOC in identifying IEDs (2.00; 3.14; p < .05) and spike-wave discharges (2.00; 3.14; p < .05). Controls had no significant improvements in any measure. This program led to significant subjective and objective improvements in IED identification. Rating candidate IEDs with instant feedback on a web browser (intervention 1) generated greater objective improvement in comparison to rating candidate IEDs on an iOS app (intervention 2). This program can complement trainee education concerning IED identification.

Leveraging Maker Learning in STEM to Promote Children's Interest in Cancer Research: A Pilot Program.

Children's early awareness about cancer, through exposure to cancer biology and prevention strategies and research principles, is a promising focus of education and learning. It may also benefit the pipeline of people entering into science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) careers. We describe an educational pilot program for elementary school students, using developmentally appropriate activities focused on cancer at a museum dedicated to children's maker-centered learning and STEM. The program was implemented through a public school in Washington, DC serving students underrepresented in STEM. Program conceptualization, museum and school engagement, and maker learning pedagogy are described, as well as curricular outcomes. A total of N = 111 students (44% female, 75% Black/African American, 5% Latine) participated in a day-long field trip. Museum educators, assisted by cancer center researchers, led a multipart workshop on cancer and the environment and hands-on rotation of activities in microbiology, immunology, and ultraviolet radiation safety; students then completed self-report evaluations. Results indicate that nearly all (> 95%) students practiced activities typical of a STEM professional at the program, and > 70% correctly answered factual questions about topics studied. Importantly, 87-94% demonstrated clear STEM interest, a sense of belonging in the field, and practice implementing skills for success in STEM (e.g., perseverance, imagination, teamwork). This pilot demonstrated acceptability and feasibility in delivering a cancer-focused curriculum to underserved elementary students using maker learning while favorably impacting key objectives. Future scale-up of this program is warranted, with the potential to increase students' motivation to engage in STEM and cancer research.

American Academy of Neurology Anti-racism Education Pilot Program: A Single Academic Center Experience (P9-7.005)

American Academy of Neurology Anti-racism Education Pilot Program: A Single Academic Center Experience (P9-7.005)

Students’ Experiences with Interprofessional Service-Learning Global Health Education Pilot Program in Ghana

Interprofessional service-learning programs can help to break down the education and training silos between public health and health care in the United States. This paper describes the development and implementation of one such program between the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, Bay Path University Physician Assistant Program, and the Wa-West Health District in Ghana. The program brought together Master of Public Health students and Physician Assistant students to complete an applied practicum and training experience in a low-resource community that faces significant health care and public health delivery challenges. In 2017 and 2018, nine students participated in the two-year pilot program, UMass Amherst Interprofessional Integrated Service Learning and Community-Based Participatory Collaboration. Students completed projects designed by Ghanaian health officials over two summers in direct collaboration with the communities. Findings from the evaluation of the pilot program revealed that though the students faced some challenges with the program, such as language barriers, transportation issues due to poor roads, and difficulty scheduling meetings while completing their projects in Ghana, the majority described their experience as positive and were satisfied. Some expressed the idea that their experiences were something that they could incorporate into their current and future practices. In addition, they reported that interprofessional communications and collaborations were effective. Recommendations are offered to address the program’s challenges for its continuation and formalization.

Use of a micro acoustic chamber for rapid iterative design, teaching, and demonstration in the development of innovative lower-carbon mass timber assemblies

Mass timber construction offers a range of benefits to the design industry, including the potential for sustainability and reduced building embodied carbon, biophilia, speed of assembly, and prefabrication. However, these benefits can create acoustical challenges for sound isolation between spaces. Thus, the University of Oregon’s Institute for Health in the Built Environment, in collaboration with the TallWood Design Institute, has developed a micro acoustic chamber as a conceptual testbed, educational resource, and demonstration tool for design professionals and students, to develop new and innovative mass timber acoustic assemblies, understand acoustic implications of material choices in composite form, and comparatively analyze the performance of acoustic detailing decisions more rapidly at a small scale. The chamber hosts specimens that are 813 mm × 813 mm and up to 300 mm thick, far smaller than a typical laboratory acoustic floor/ceiling assembly test chamber, creating known limitations; however, test samples can be cost and material efficient, allowing relative performance differences between assemblies to be evaluated quickly and easily for initial design feedback. This presentation will share how the use of a micro acoustic chamber has been integrated into design education, student, and industry pilot research to accelerate the development of mass timber acoustic solutions.

Simulation as an effective means of preparing trainees for active participation in MDT meetings

IntroductionCancer multi-disciplinary team (MDT) meetings are an important component of consultant workload, however previous literature has suggested trainees are not satisfied with their current curriculum in preparing for MDT working. MethodsThis educational pilot assessed whether multi-speciality simulated scenarios with pre-defined learning objectives, could prepare specialist registrars for interacting within an MDT. Participants completed pre- and post-questionnaires assessing a number of areas including: current experience of training, confidence presenting patients and whether the course would alter future practice. ResultsTrainee confidence increased significantly from a mean of 5 to 7 (mean to nearest whole number, p < 0.01). Trainees rated the session highly for utility and altering their future practice (mean scores of 9 for both respectively, out of 10). ConclusionSimulation has shown success in other multidisciplinary teaching, however to our knowledge there are no cancer specific training programmes. Our results highlight a potential gap in UK specialist training, and suggest simulation may be beneficial in preparing trainees to present in MDT meetings.

Nurses' knowledge regarding recommended practices on using surgical attire in operating theatre.

To reduce the risk for surgical site infections, nurses in the operating theatre environment must have knowledge of and adhere to recommended practices regarding the use of surgical attire. To evaluate the effect of an educational intervention on nurses' knowledge related to recommended practices regarding the use of surgical attire in operating theatre. Operating theatres in two public and two private hospitals in the Eastern Cape province, South Africa. An educational pilot study, using a quasi-experimental, two-group pre- and post-test design, was conducted. A convenience sample of n = 85 nurses was purposively allocated to a control group and an intervention group. An existing educational intervention consisting of an interactive training session, brochures based on the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses' (AORN) guidelines and a summary of these guidelines was implemented for the intervention group, while the control group received only the summary of the guidelines. Data were collected through self-administered pre- and post-test questionnaires from March 2019 to August 2019. The overall knowledge score for nurses in the intervention group post-intervention improved with a large significance (p ≤ 0.000 and Cohen's d = 1.26). The intervention has shown potential to improve the knowledge related to recommended practices of nurses in operating theatres regarding the use of surgical attire. This pilot study encourages the implementation of the intervention on the use of surgical attire but requires further development and a wider implementation to measure its impact, and access to resources, enhancing and sustaining its success.

The Delirium Objective structured clinical examination Education (DOE) Pilot Study: implementation of the delirium OSCE education package within hospital education for registered healthcare professionals.

Objectives To evaluate an interactive delirium educational intervention on confidence and competence in delirium assessment tools and delirium knowledge; delirium knowledge scores; clinical practice; planned practice change and perceived usefulness of the education. Methods We conducted a quasi-experimental pilot study, with qualitative follow-up, at two metropolitan hospital sites in Australia. Participants were active registered healthcare practitioners. Survey data were collected pre (T0) and six weeks after the educational intervention (T1). Scores were derived from the seven-item OSCE marking rubric (maximum 15). At T1, observations of delirium care in practice were undertaken using a 10-item (maximum 12) tool. Results There was a significant increase in perceptions of confidence and competence in using delirium assessment tools and knowledge (p&lt;0.001). Delirium knowledge scores improved significantly from 13.6 (SD 1.7) at baseline to 14.6 (SD 1.1) at T1(p&lt;0.001). The high level of competency in delirium care demonstrated and gained during the OSCE (88.7%, SD 0.1) was translated and maintained into clinical practice (81.5%, SD 0.1) (p=0.07). Open-ended survey responses generated three themes: (1) Assess for Delirium, (2) The usefulness of The Delirium OSCE Package and, (3) A need for ongoing education on delirium care. Conclusion This study generated evidence on integrating The Delirium OSCE Education Package in other clinical settings and private hospital sites. Following this pilot study, a RCT was designed using the tools and methods developed to evaluate the effectiveness of The Delirium OSCE Education Package against conventional professional development education.

Promoting Inclusion in Education: Teachers’ Attitude and Self-efficacy towards Differently Abled Children in Mainstream Schools

Significant shifts in policy have been made in most of the developing nations, such as Pakistan, with regard to the inclusion of children with diverse learning needs, in particular those with disabilities. The main goal of this study was to investigate the attitudes and self-efficacy of teachers towards differently abled children in mainstream schools. Data was collected from three hundred and sixty one (361) primary school teachers working in Multan District, where an inclusive education pilot project is being implemented, using a quantitative research design. The results regarding the teachers’ current practices, teachers’ attitudes, and teachers’ sense of self-efficacy towards differently abled children indicate an overall positive attitude in mainstream schools. However, results showed that on the basis of teacher’s gender, location, professional, and academic qualifications there was no statistically significant difference in their attitude except in the domain of teaching experience. The current study suggests that teachers’ in Multan need to be required to engage in professional training focused on effectively managing students with disabilities in mainstream classrooms. These trainings seem to be offering great support for these teachers.

Early childhood educators' beliefs on increasing fundamental motor skills by playing games in a physical education context: The contradictory belief

The development of fundamental motor skills (FMS) is crucial and should begin in early childhood. As of now, several early childhood educators in Indonesia, particularly in West Java, think that incorporating playground games into the classroom curriculum is the best course of action for raising children’s FMS. This study aimed to present statistics on FMS findings for early childhood who have incorporated physical activity into the curriculum and to demonstrate that these results are still in conflict with teachers’ beliefs. Ex post facto research was applied to one of the early childhood education pilot programs in West Java, Indonesia, including a total of 30 kids. This school’s long-standing intervention involves giving children 30 minutes of structured playtime and 30 minutes of unstructured playtime at the start of each learning period. The Test of Gross Motor Development-2 (TGMD-2) was used to measure FMS. The study’s findings showed that both boys’ and girls’ FMS in both locomotor and manipulating components of the movement were very lacking and inversely proportional to teachers’ belief who believe that this activity will improve children’s motor skills. It is recommended that physical education specialists accompany both structured and unstructured play programs conducted on school playgrounds so that the early childhood education curriculum's programs are properly validated to raise children's FMS following Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP).

Making evidence-based practice actionable in the social service context: experiences and implications of workplace education

PurposeResearch and experience show that evidence-based practice (EBP), i.e. using the best available knowledge in daily professional work, is difficult to achieve in social services. The purpose of this study is to understand the development of organizational EBP learning processes in daily work through workplace education for staff and managers of supported homes for people with cognitive disabilities. The authors examine how the EBP model and new knowledge are understood and made actionable in the workplace, applying theories of organizational learning.Design/methodology/approachThe authors used empirical material collected from an EBP workplace education pilot in Sweden, as well as documents on national EBP implementation in Swedish social services. Before the pilot, a focus group interview was conducted with regional senior managers. Participating managers and staff were individually interviewed two to three years after the pilot.FindingsThe study illustrates how knowledge-based action emerged from education where EBP was interpreted, understood, reflected on, and tested, supported by codified EBP tools in the work context. The participants, when supervised, and when observing and questioning their own behaviors in practice, contributed to double-loop learning (DLL) processes. Codification of EBP knowledge into useful tools and socialization processes during education and workplace meetings was crucial in developing individual and group DLL and knowledge-based actions.Originality/valueThe bottom-up approach to EBP development and the adaptive contextual learning at the workplace gave new insights into organizational learning in social service workplaces.