Medical Education Workshops Research Articles

Implementing Motivational Interviewing for Substance Misuse on Medical Inpatient Units: a Randomized Controlled Trial.

General medical hospitals provide care for a disproportionate share of patients who misuse substances. Hospitalization provides a unique opportunity to identify and motivate patients to address their substance misuse. To determine the effectiveness of three strategies for implementing motivational interviewing for substance misuse with general medical inpatients. Type 3 hybrid effectiveness-implementation randomized controlled trial (Clinical Trials.gov: NCT01825057). Thirty-eight providers (physicians, physician assistants, nurses) from 13 general medical inpatient services, and 1173 of their patients admitted to an academically affiliated acute care hospital. Implementation strategies included (1) a continuing medical education workshop on detection of substance misuse and provision of a motivational interview; (2) workshop plus bedside supervision (apprenticeship condition); and (3) a workshop plus ability to place a medical order for an interview from a consultation-liaison service (consult condition). Primary outcomes were the percentage of study-eligible patients who received an interview for substance misuse and the integrity (adherence, competence) of the interviews. The secondary outcome was the percent of patient statements within the interviews that indicated motivation for reducing substance misuse. 20.5% of patients in the consult condition received an interview, compared to 0.8% (Hedge's g = 1.49) and 3.0% (Hedge's g = 1.26) in the respective workshop only and apprenticeship conditions (p < 0.001). Motivational interviews in the consult condition were performed with more fundamental motivational interviewing adherence and competence than the other conditions. Most statements made by patients during the interviews favored reducing substance misuse, with no differences between conditions. Providers' ability to place an order to have experts from the consultation-liaison service deliver a motivational interview was a more effective implementation strategy than a workshop or apprenticeship method for ensuring motivational interviewing is available to medical inpatients who misuse substances. NCT01825057.

Favourable influence of revised basic course workshops in medical educational technology on knowledge of teaching learning and assessment methods of participants

Objective: The objective of the study was to assess the outcome of medical education workshops in terms of their usefulness, actual and perceived knowledge gained and the utilization of teaching learning and assessment methods learnt by the participants. Methods: Three workshops on medical education technology with a pretest and posttest immediately and at 2 and 6 months after the workshop were conducted. Results: The scores of usefulness of workshop remained consistent in post workshop evaluations. The knowledge scores of participants in all posttest evaluations were greater than the pretest scores. However, in comparison to immediate posttest values, there was a decrease in the score at 2 months, which again increased at 6 months. Perception of utilization of teaching learning methods decreased from 0 to 6 months and perception of knowledge of assessment methods decreased at 2 and 6 months from immediate post workshop scores. The post workshop perception of, knowledge of teaching learning methods and utilization of assessment methods did not change at the end of six months. Conclusion: The workshops were useful and increased the knowledge of teaching learning and assessment methods in participants in comparison to pre workshop value. Perception of utilization of teaching learning methods and perception of knowledge of assessment methods decreased from immediate post workshop evaluations.

The Fostering Resilience through Art in Medical Education (FRAME) workshop: a partnership with the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Background: Provider burnout remains a serious problem facing medical training programs and has been shown to affect more than half of internal medicine residents. In addition to broader efforts to revamp a health care system that contributes to this epidemic, exposure to the medical humanities offers potential to promote engagement, resilience, and restoration of meaning in residents’ daily lives.Objective: We aim to create a reproducible, evidence-based workshop utilizing artful thinking routines to prepare trainees to combat burnout with reflection, perspective-taking, and community-building.Methods: A single, 4-hour workshop for senior internal medicine residents, centered on visual artistic analysis, was offered in June 2017 at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Pre- and post-workshop burnout metrics and survey evaluation data were analyzed using a mixed-methods approach.Results: Workshop participation was offered to 29 internal medicine residents, of whom 17 (59%) participated. All survey respondents (n=13) rated the workshop as excellent and would recommend it to colleagues. Moderate decreases in the observed frequencies of both high emotional exhaustion scores (64.7% before the workshop to 55.5% following the workshop) and high depersonalization scores (70.6% before the workshop to 55.5% following the workshop) were observed.Conclusions: While results are preliminary in nature, the workshop was received favorably and demonstrated modest decreases in emotional exhaustion and depersonalization. We are encouraged to explore and repeat this workshop with modifications to identify its optimal position in the broader landscape of emerging wellness curricula.

Awareness about diabetes mellitus and DKA among medical students: an observational study

Background: Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is a global epidemic and a leading cause for increased mortality and morbidity. The prevalence of Diabetes is very high so the management of DM and its complication like diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is very crucial in today’s world. Medical students being the future pillars of our health care system were included in this study to know their knowledge towards diabetes and its acute complication DKA.Methods: This study was a questionnaire based observational study conducted in Adichunchanagiri Institute of Medical Sciences, B G Nagara. Final year medical students and interns were included in the study.Results: A total of 150 (75 from each group) questionnaires were collected and analysed. Most of the final year students and interns were aware about the classical symptoms of diabetes (73.33% and 84% respectively) and were aware about the endocrine gland related to diabetes (82.6% and 94.6% respectively) however there were differences about the meaning of PPBS among both the groups. Interns (76%) had better knowledge regarding the fluid replacement in the management of DKA in compared to final year students (41.33%). There was statistically significant difference in knowledge between the two groups regarding GDM.Conclusions: This study identifies that both final year students and interns need to improve the practical knowledge towards diagnostic parameters of DM and treatment of DKA. Continous medical education programmes and workshops should be organised to enhance the knowledge towards DM and its complications.

Impacts of Educating for Equity Workshop on Addressing Social Barriers of Type 2 Diabetes With Indigenous Patients.

Health education about Indigenous populations in Canada (First Nations, Inuit, and Métis people) is one approach to enable health services to mitigate health disparities faced by Indigenous peoples related to a history of colonization and ongoing social inequities. This evaluation of a continuing medical education workshop, to enhance family physicians' clinical approach by including social and cultural dimensions within diabetes management, was conducted to determine whether participation in the workshop improved self-reported knowledge, skills, and confidence in working with Indigenous patients with type 2 diabetes. The workshop, developed from rigorous national research with Indigenous patients, diabetes care physicians, and Indigenous health medical educators, was attended by 32 family physicians serving Indigenous populations on three sites in Northern Ontario. A same-day evaluation survey assessed participants' satisfaction with workshop content and delivery. Preworkshop and postworkshop surveys consisting of 5-point Likert and open-ended questions were administered 1 week before and 3 month after the workshop. Descriptive statistics and t test were performed to analyze Likert scale questions; thematic analysis was used to elicit and cluster themes from open-ended responses. Participants reported high satisfaction with all aspects of the workshop. Reporting improved understanding of socioeconomic (P = .002), psychosocial, and cultural factors (P = .001), participants also described adapting their clinical approach to more actively incorporating social and cultural factors and focusing on patient-centered care. The workshop was effective in shifting physician's self-reported knowledge, attitudes, and skills resulting in clinical approach modifications within social, psychosocial, and cultural domains for their Indigenous patients with diabetes.

Development, implementation and evaluation of Australia\u2019s first national continuing medical education program for the timely diagnosis and management of dementia in general practice

BackgroundDementia is the second leading cause of death in Australia. Over half of patients with dementia are undiagnosed in primary care. This paper describes the development, implementation and initial evaluation of the first national continuing medical education program on the timely diagnosis and management of dementia in general practice in Australia.MethodsContinuing medical education workshops were developed and run in 16 urban and rural locations across Australia (12 were delivered as small group workshops, four as large groups), and via online modules. Two train-the-trainer workshops were held. The target audience was general practitioners, however, international medical graduates, GP registrars, other doctors, primary care nurses and other health professionals were also welcome. Self-complete questionnaires were used for the evaluation.ResultsOf 1236 people (GPs, other doctors, nurses and other health professionals) who participated in the program, 609 completed the full program (small group workshops (282), large group workshops (75), online modules (252)); and 627 elected to undertake one or more individual submodules (large group workshops (444), online program (183)). Of those who completed the full program as a small group workshop, 14 undertook the additional Train-the-trainer program. 76% of participants felt that their learning needs were entirely met and 78% felt the program was entirely relevant to their practice.ConclusionContinuing medical education programs are an effective method to deliver education to GPs. A combination of face-to-face and online delivery modes increases reach to primary care providers. Train-the-trainer sessions and online continuing medical education programs promote long-term delivery sustainability. Further research is required to determine the long-term knowledge translation effects of the program.

Evidence based practice: knowledge, attitude and practice among undergraduate and postgraduate medical students of a medical college in North Karnataka, India

Background: Evidence based practice (EBP) is based on the integration of the best research evidence with clinical expertise to facilitate clinical decision making. Those patients who receive evidence-based therapies have better outcomes than those who do not.Evidence-based medicine is becoming a specialty in its own right, and it's an area that medical students should pay close attention to when determining their path. The objective of the study was to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice regarding evidence based practice among the undergraduate and postgraduate students of a medical college in North Karnataka.Methods: After obtaining ethical clearance from institutional ethical committee, this cross-sectional study was conducted in a Medical College in North Karnataka from November 2016–January 2017. All the interns and postgraduates studying in the College were included in the study. After obtaining informed consent, data was collected through pre-designed semi-structured questionnaire. Data was compiled and tabulated by using MS Excel and was analyzed.Results: Overall, majority of the participants hold positive attitudes toward EBP but lack sufficient knowledge and skills for implementation. The main barriers to implement EBP are insufficient time to read scientific research articles and the cost to its access.Conclusions: More focus should be given to EBP from the medical school itself, either through continuing medical education or various workshops, it can even be included in the curriculum so that all the undergraduate medical students can be sensitized to it from a very initial stage.

The 66th Medical Education Development Center, Seminar and Workshop in Okayama University

The 66th Medical Education Development Center, Seminar and Workshop in Okayama University

Strategies to curb young researchers from predatory publishers.

This letter addresses the current scenario of predatory publishers in the medical field and strategies to curb young researchers from predatory publishing. Today, the increasing trend and magnitude of predatory publishers have proposed a big challenge to young researchers in the medical field (1). Predatory publishers are publishers which publish papers with questionable peer review, charge enormous publication fees with unknown location of the real controlling entity (2). Jeffry Beall has updated the lists of predatory publications more recently (3). Predatory publishers are publishing bogus research which are harmful to the patient and the public and cause threat to the integrity of scientific research (4). It was evident from a recent study from India that predatory publications may have several publication houses with different names under a single roof to trap authors from different geographic locations (5). People with no research interest, persons with intention of quick publication for promotion, innocent researchers unaware of predatory unscientific practice are often victims to predatory publishers (6). More recently, World Association of Medical Editors has conveyed information about the role of Directory of open access journals (DOAJ). Beall’s list of predatory publications and think check submit criteria in distinguishing predatory from legitimate publications were appreciated throughout the globe (7). The young researchers should keep the above attributes related to predatory publishers in mind. The following strategies (individual- wise and community- wise) should be implemented to curb young researchers from predatory publishing. If the researcher had got invitation to submit an article from a predatory publisher as email, he/she should follow Beall’s list of predatory publications, think check submit criteria and Directory of open access journals (DOAJ) and PubMed indexation to authenticate the publisher. World Association of Medical Editors should initiate continuing medical education programs and workshops regarding predatory publishers throughout the globe through regional bodies such as Indian Association of Medical Journal Editors (India), Pakistan Association of Medical Editors (Pakistan) and Iranian Society of Medical Editors (Iran). The members of the above-said associations should conduct workshops and continuing medical education programs in regional areas to encourage ethical publishing in future. It will be more interesting if World Association of Medical Editors has come up with predatory publishers, detecting software installed in Medical Universities similar to plagiarism detection software to halt the flourishing of predatory publishers.

A live workshop which redefined my skills and attitude

Continuous medical education (CME) and live workshops are the junctures where we sharpen our knowledge. I share one such experience when I attended the 18th live workshop at GKNM hospital in Coimbatore. The best part of the meeting was the rendezvous with Dr. Hartzell V Schaff wherein he shared his experience and listed the qualities for a successful cardiac surgeon.

A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY EVALUATING THE KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE OF UNDERGRADUATE MEDICAL STUDENTS ABOUT PHARMACOVIGILANCE AND ADVERSE DRUG REACTION REPORTING AT A MEDICAL COLLEGE IN HYDERABAD

Objectives: Objectives of the study were (1) to evaluate the knowledge about pharmacovigilance and (2) to assess the attitude toward adverse drug reaction (ADR) reporting among undergraduate medical students.Methods: It is a cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study conducted in the Department of Pharmacology, Malla Reddy Medical College for Women, Hyderabad, Telangana, among fifth term Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery students (136). The questionnaire consisted of 16 questions dealing with knowledge, awareness, attitude about pharmacovigilance and ADR reporting. Data were analyzed and presented as percentage among respondents.Results: About 58.8% of students could not identify the proper definition of pharmacovigilance and 84.5% of undergraduates have not seen ADR form. It was agreed among 42.6% of students that ADR reporting is a professional obligation to them and 47.7% agreed that establishing ADR monitoring center in every hospital is compulsory.Conclusions: Our study revealed that though the attitude toward pharmacovigilance was appreciable among the medical students; there lies an insufficient knowledge and awareness about pharmacovigilance. Continued medical education programs and workshops may be helpful in the future to increase awareness and consequently to improve the rate of spontaneous ADR reporting among these upcoming doctors.

Public Knowledge and Attitudes Regarding the Use of Antibiotics and Resistance: Findings from a Cross-Sectional Study Among Palestinian Adults.

Antibiotics are considered to be among the most commonly sold drug classes in Palestine. Resistance to antibiotics has increased for reasons relating to the use and misuse of antibiotics. The aim of this study was to evaluate the knowledge, and attitudes regarding antibiotic use and awareness about resistance among adults visiting the emergency departments at hospitals in North Palestine. A self-administered cross-sectional questionnaire survey involving participants aged 18 or overwas conducted from June 2012 to February 2013. Adults who visited the emergency departments at hospitals in North Palestine were included. Demographic characteristics, knowledge and attitudes towards antibiotic use were included in the questionnaire. Poor and good knowledge were defined as a total knowledge score of 0-7 and 8-15 of 15 questions, respectively. Attitude scores of 0-3 and 4-7 of 7 questions were considered poor and good, respectively. A total of 375 questionnaires were included in the study. A response rate of 83.3% was attained. About 55.0% of the participants had a good knowledge and 56.5% had a good attitude towards rational antibiotic use. A significant positive correlation was shown between participants' knowledge scores and participants' attitude scores towards antibiotic use (R=0.344, P=0.001. Participants with a high family income were more likely to be aware of appropriate antibiotic use than participants with a low family income (P-value <0.001). Participants with a higher educational level (university) had a good attitude towards rational antibiotic use than those with a lower education level (P-value <0.001). This study has documented important knowledge and attitude gaps in antibiotic use. These findings will help health policymakers in Palestine to implement intervention programmes to rationalize antibiotic use. Continuing medical education, professional development and training workshops for healthcare professionals regarding rational use of antibiotics and health risks associated with the spread of antibiotic resistance are needed. In addition, minimizing non-prescription use of antibiotics and increasing the public awareness about the health and economic hazards of antibiotic resistance are also required.

Attitude and awareness of general dental practitioners toward radiation hazards and safety.

Aim and Objective:The aim and objective is to evaluate the level of awareness and attitude about radiation hazards and safety practices among general dental practitioners in Trivandrum District, Kerala, India.Materials and Methods:A questionnaire-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 300 general dental practitioners in Trivandrum District, Kerala, India. Postanswering the questions, a handout regarding radiation safety and related preventive measures was distributed to encourage radiation understanding and protection.Statistical Analysis:Statistical analysis were done by assessing the results using Chi-square statistical test, t-test, and other software (Microsoft excel + SPSS 20.0 trail version).Results:Among 300 general practitioners (247 females and 53 males), 80.3% of the practitioners were found to have a separate section for radiographic examination in their clinics. Intraoral radiographic machines were found to be the most commonly (63.3%) used radiographic equipment while osteoprotegerin was the least (2%). Regarding the practitioner's safety measures, only 11.7% of them were following all the necessary steps while 6.7% clinicians were not using any safety measure in their clinic, and with respect to patient safety, only 9.7% of practitioners were following the protocol.Conclusion:The level of awareness of practitioners regarding radiation hazards and safety was found to be acceptable. However, implementation of their knowledge with respect to patient and personnel safety was found wanting. Insisting that they follow the protocols and take necessary safety measures by means of continuing medical education programs, pamphlets, articles, and workshops is strongly recommended.

A cross-sectional study evaluating the awareness of pharmacovigilance among MBBS interns of a teaching hospital in south India

Background: Spontaneous reporting is the backbone of any pharmacovigilance programme. The pharmacovigilance programme of India, started in 2010 has not seen considerable success, owing to underreporting of adverse drug reactions (ADRs). This can be attributed to a lack of awareness of pharmacovigilance among the healthcare professionals. This study was conducted with the aim to evaluate the level of knowledge, awareness, attitude and practice of pharmacovigilance among interns of a teaching hospital. Methods: An observational, cross-sectional study was done among interns of a teaching hospital. A predesigned Questionnaire was distributed among 150 interns, from which 138 completed questionnaires were considered. The questionnaire consisted of 16 questions dealing with knowledge, awareness, attitude and practice of pharmacovigilance. Data was analysed and presented as percentage of respondents. Results: 71% interns correctly identified the definition of pharmacovigilance. However, their awareness was deficient, in particular about the existence of an ADR monitoring centre in their own institution (33%). The rate of ADR reporting was immensely inadequate (12 %), which is a matter of utmost concern and requires immediate attention. The factors discouraging them from reporting ADRs were insufficient knowledge about the reporting procedure and a lack of time to report. Conclusions: Interns lacked the required level of awareness, attitude and practice of pharmacovigilance, which needs to be resolved instantly by organizing frequent training sessions. Continued medical education programmes and workshops may be helpful in increasing their awareness and consequently to improve the rate of spontaneous ADR reporting.

Getting Started With Online Faculty Development.

Online faculty development (OFD) enables faculty to advance their teaching skills while respecting time constraints. At the 2015 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education workshop on this topic, 57% of participants indicated they have tried OFD, 85% felt that it can be an effective FD method, and 98% believed that it increasingly would be utilized in the future. Yet, gathering the initial capital and technological expertise needed to create OFD can be daunting. This Rip Out presents a number of low-cost resources and strategies that can be used to create an OFD program.

Awareness and low uptake of post exposure prophylaxis for HIV among clinical medical students in a high endemicity setting.

BackgroundAdequate knowledge and practices on post exposure prophylaxis (PEP) for HIV among health care providers are crucial for HIV prevention. However there is limited data on PEP knowledge and practice from developing countries where the burden of HIV infection continues to increase. We assessed the knowledge of clinical medical students on PEP, their practices in response to occupational exposure to HIV, as well as the determinants of good knowledge on PEP.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted in November 2014 involving 154 consecutively recruited clinical medical students (4th-6th year undergraduates). Data were acquired using a structured questionnaire. Knowledge on PEP was assessed using a questionnaire comprising 25 questions and categorized as: good (20 or more correct answers), moderate (13–19 correct answers) and poor (12 or fewer correct answers).ResultsFor the 154 students included (57.8 % being male), the mean age was 23.2 ± 2.4 years, and 89 % had heard about PEP for HIV. The majority of students had moderate (61.7 %) and poor (32.5 %) knowledge on PEP. Overall knowledge score increased with increasing level of studies (p < 0.05). Only 10 (6.5 %) had had previous training on PEP, most of whom were senior level students (p = 0.01). Fifty-four students (35.1 %) knew the appropriate duration of PEP and this awareness increased with level of studies (p = 0.001). Of the 81 (52.6 %) who reported occupational exposure to HIV in the past, only 4 (4.9 %) received PEP.ConclusionsOverall, knowledge on PEP among clinical medical students in this setting was non-optimal with very low uptake PEP. Intensification of HIV curricula to involve PEP as well as continuous medical education programs and workshops are potential avenues to improve awareness in this vulnerable population.

See One, Do One, Order One: a study protocol for cluster randomized controlled trial testing three strategies for implementing motivational interviewing on medical inpatient units.

BackgroundGeneral medical hospitals provide care for a disproportionate share of patients who abuse or are dependent upon substances. This group is among the most costly to treat and has the poorest medical and addiction recovery outcomes. Hospitalization provides a unique opportunity to identify and motivate patients to address their substance use problems in that patients are accessible, have time for an intervention, and are often admitted for complications related to substance use that renders hospitalization a “teachable moment.”Methods/DesignThis randomized controlled trial will examine the effectiveness of three different strategies for integrating motivational interviewing (MI) into the practice of providers working within a general medical inpatient hospitalist service: (1) a continuing medical education workshop that provides background and “shows” providers how to conduct MI (See One); (2) an apprenticeship model involving workshop training plus live supervision of bedside practice (Do One); and (3) ordering MI from the psychiatry consultation-liaison (CL) service after learning about it in a workshop (Order One). Thirty providers (physicians, physician assistants, nurses) will be randomized to conditions and then assessed for their provision of MI to 40 study-eligible inpatients. The primary aims of the study are to assess (1) the utilization of MI in each condition; (2) the integrity of MI when providers use it on the medical units; and (3) the relative costs and cost-effectiveness of the three different implementation strategies.DiscussionIf implementation of Do One and Order One is successful, the field will have two alternative strategies for supporting medical providers’ proficient use of brief behavioral interventions, such as MI, for medical inpatients who use substances problematically.Trial registrationClinical Trials.gov (NCT01825057)

Study of Medical Professional Liabilities in Bellary Region of Karnataka

The study of Medical Professional Liabilities was carried out in Bellary region of Karnataka state. Details of the cases were collected from the district consumer forum Bellary between January 2000-December 2009 (10 years). In each case, complaint of the complainant and response to a complaint by the opponent was studied and analyzed. Date of filing and date of judgment was noted in each case. In our study out of ten cases, general practitioners were more prone for professional liabilities. Six cases were compensated monetarily. In our study the most common cause for litigation was found to be breach of practice guidelines, which can be prevented by attending continuous medical education (CME) programs and workshops, followed by misguided allegation which can be prevented by proper communication to the patient at first consultation. The lawsuits not only have heavy emotional toll on doctors and patients but on the society as a whole. Medical professionals should opt for medical indemnity insurance, which defends his or her case in all aspects and may even pay compensation on his behalf in case of professional liabilities.

Good Clinical Practice; Education as a Necessitate for Radiology

A good clinical practice (GCP) is an ethical and scientific quality act from oldest enduring customs in the historic times of medicine. As the guiding ethical code it is primarily known for its edict to do no harm to the tolerant. However, the complexities of modern medicine research necessitate a more elaborate set of guidelines that address a physician’s ethical and scientific responsibilities such as obtaining informed consent or disclosing risks of these biohazards. Our country in last decades has excelled so much in terms of offering training programs for these professional to bridge the gap between the therapeutic interventions and knowledge of these working individuals. We have done a survey on both male and female working in specific hospitals in Karachi. They were interviewed about their skills, duties and knowledge about standards of clinical practice. With reference to the patient care and conditions they were inquired about the medical background, awareness of the sufferer’s ailment and ethical concerns like patient safety & rights. We have found nearly disappointing results as most of these workers were ignorant of the fact that they lack basic knowledge of related responsibilities of concerned patients. Rest of the data also gave the evidence for a huge breach among the awareness, education and realistic approach in this selected workforce. We suggest that caregivers must be aware of indications and have strong medical foundation of the concerned departments where they are serving. We propose the medical education and clinical workshops of this set of serving individuals at ground levels along with the technical fine tuning with the help of case studies and good clinical practice.

Interpretation of Computed Tomography of the Head: Emergency Physicians versus Radiologists

BackgroundMany patients are brought to crowded emergency departments (ED) of hospitals every day for evaluation of head injuries, headaches, neurologic deficits etc. CT scan of the head is the most common diagnostic measure used to search for pathologies. In many EDs the initial interpretation of images are performed by emergency physicians (EP). Since most decisions are made based on the initial interpretation of the images by emergency physicians and not the radiologists, it is necessary to assess the accuracy of interpretations made by the former group.ObjectivesThe objective of this study was to compare the findings reported in the interpretation of head CTs by emergency physicians and compare to radiologists (the gold standard).Materials and MethodsThis was a prospective cross sectional study conducted from March to May 2009 in a teaching hospital in Tehran, Iran. All non-contrast head CTs obtained during the study period were copied on DVDs and sent separately to a radiologist, 6 emergency medicine (EM) attending physicians and 14 senior EM residents for interpretation. Clinical information pertaining to each patient was also sent with each CT. The radiologist’s interpretation was considered as the gold standard and reference for comparison. Data from EM physicians and residents were compared with the reference as well as with each other and statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 18.5.ResultsOut of 544 CT scans, EM physicians had 35 false negatives and 53 false positives compared with radiologist’s interpretations (P < 0.0001). EM residents had 74 false negatives and 12 false positives compared with radiologist’s interpretations (P < 0.0001).ConclusionsBoth EPs and ER residents either missed or falsely called a significant number of pathologies in their interpretations. The interpretations of EPs and ER residents were more sensitive and more specific, respectively. These findings revealed the need for increased training time in head CT reading for residents and the necessity of attending continuing medical education workshops for emergency physicians.