Defining performance levels in undergraduate otolaryngology education

OBJECTIVES

This study seeks the opinions of qualified doctors on what they feel medical students should learn about otolaryngology. It aims to identify both the content deemed relevant and the performance levels for medical students in otolaryngology.

METHODS

A national survey developed from a content analysis of undergraduate otolaryngology curricula from the UK was undertaken, accompanied by a review of the literature and input from an expert group. Data were collected from a wide range of doctors.

RESULTS

Participants felt that graduating students should be able to: recognise, assess and initiate management for common and life-threatening acute conditions; take an appropriate patient history; and perform an appropriate examination for the majority of otolaryngology clinical conditions but manage only a select few.

CONCLUSION

This study reports performance levels for otolaryngology topics at an undergraduate level. Participating doctors felt that a higher level of performance should be expected of students treating life-threatening, acute and common otolaryngology conditions.

Current innovations in otolaryngology medical education in the UK: a systematic literature review

OBJECTIVE

Recent studies have indicated a lack of ENT training at the undergraduate and post-graduate levels. This study aimed to review the impact of recent educational innovations in improving ENT training for medical students and junior doctors in the UK.

METHODS

Three independent investigators conducted a literature search of published articles on ENT education. Included studies were analysed using qualitative synthesis methods.

RESULTS

An initial search yielded 2008 articles; 44 underwent full-text evaluation and 5 were included for final analysis. Most included studies demonstrated benefits for students when compared to existing teaching standards in terms of objective assessment (knowledge and skills gained) or subjective assessment (confidence and preference) following implemented educational innovations.

CONCLUSION

This study identified educational innovations developed in the past 15 years to enhance the teaching of core ENT competencies. More research is needed to establish their impact on the state of ENT medical education in the UK.

ENT and airways in the emergency department: national survey of junior doctors' knowledge and skills

BACKGROUND

Given the urgent nature of ENT emergencies, appropriate knowledge is required amongst front-line staff. Junior doctors account for almost one quarter of emergency department doctors. It has been shown that undergraduate coverage of ENT is variable. This study therefore aimed to determine whether emergency department junior doctors were confident in dealing with ENT emergencies, with special focus on the airway.

METHOD

An online survey was circulated to junior doctors working in emergency medicine, at the discretion of their training co-ordinators.

RESULTS

A total of 104 responses were received. Junior doctors were not confident in managing patients who have undergone tracheostomy or laryngectomy. Management of stridor varied, with 51 per cent giving oxygen and only 77 per cent referring such patients as an emergency to ENT. Most training on the management of airway emergencies was not provided through hospital induction.

CONCLUSION

Training should be provided to junior doctors starting work in the emergency department. We suggest mandatory multidisciplinary induction training for such staff.

Use of real patients in teaching ENT diseases to undergraduate students and its effects on patient satisfaction: cross-sectional survey

OBJECTIVES

To describe a method of using real patients in teaching ENT to undergraduates and to examine whether being a case patient affected patient satisfaction.

METHODS

In a cross-sectional study, 68 teaching-involved patients (case patients) with a suspected common ENT illness and 68 matched (in terms of age, sex and region of complaint) control patients evaluated the health service and their encounter with the physician. The students saw the case patients first independently and then saw the patient with the teacher physician. The controls were treated in a normal way.

RESULTS

Fifty-eight case patients (84 per cent) and 65 control patients (95 per cent) answered the questionnaire. The median duration of the visit was significantly longer for the case patients than the controls (115 vs 60 minutes). Almost all patients in both groups graded the overall quality of the health service, and the variables describing various aspects of the setting and the encounter with the physician, as either good or excellent.

CONCLUSION

Patients who took part in the undergraduate teaching of ENT diseases were equally content with their primary visit as the control patients, even though their visit took a markedly longer time.