Online Radiology Reporting with Peer Review as a Learning and Feedback Tool in Radiology; Implementation, Validity, and Student Impressions

Communicating radiological reports to peers has pedagogical value. Students may be uneasy with the process due to a lack of communication and peer review skills or to their failure to see value in the process. We describe a communication exercise with peer review in an undergraduate veterinary radiology course. The computer code used to manage the course and deliver images online is reported, and we provide links to the executable files. We tested to see if undergraduate peer review of radiological reports has validity and describe student impressions of the learning process. Peer review scores for student-generated radiological reports were compared to scores obtained in the summative multiple choice (MCQ) examination for the course. Student satisfaction was measured using a bespoke questionnaire. There was a weak positive correlation (Pearson correlation coefficient = 0.32, p < 0.01) between peer review scores students received and the student scores obtained in the MCQ examination. The difference in peer review scores received by students grouped according to their level of course performance (high vs. low) was statistically significant (p < 0.05). No correlation was found between peer review scores awarded by the students and the scores they obtained in the MCQ examination (Pearson correlation coefficient = 0.17, p = 0.14). In conclusion, we have created a realistic radiology imaging exercise with readily available software. The peer review scores are valid in that to a limited degree they reflect student future performance in an examination. Students valued the process of learning to communicate radiological findings but do not fully appreciated the value of peer review.

Residents' ability to interpret radiology images: development and improvement of an assessment tool

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES

Despite increasing radiology coverage, nonradiology residents continue to preliminarily interpret basic radiologic studies independently, yet their ability to do so accurately is not routinely assessed.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

An online test of basic radiologic image interpretation was developed through an iterative process. Educational objectives were established, then questions and images were gathered to create an assessment. The test was administered online to first-year interns (postgraduate year [PGY] 1) from 14 different specialties, as well as a sample of third- and fourth-year radiology residents (PGY3/R2 and PGY4/R3).

RESULTS

Over a 2-year period, 368 residents were assessed, including PGY1 (n = 349), PGY3/R2 (n = 14), and PGY4/R3 (n = 5) residents. Overall, the test discriminated effectively between interns (average score = 66%) and advanced residents (R2 = 86%, R3 = 89%; P < .05). Item analysis indicated discrimination indices ranging from -0.72 to 48.3 (mean = 3.12, median 0.58) for individual questions, including four questions with negative discrimination indices. After removal of the negatively indexed questions, the overall predictive value of the instrument persisted and discrimination indices increased for all but one of the remaining questions (range 0.027-70.8, mean 5.76, median 0.94).

CONCLUSIONS

Validation of an initial iteration of an assessment of basic image-interpretation skills led to revisions that improved the test. The results offer a specific test of radiologic reading skills with validation evidence for residents. More generally, results demonstrate a principled approach to test development.

Developing an open-access antimicrobial resistance learning site for veterinary medical students

Recognizing the crucial role of veterinarians in mitigating antimicrobial resistance (AMR), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has funded the development of a suite of educational materials to promote the responsible veterinary medical use of antimicrobials. An open-access, Web-based multimedia curriculum regarding antimicrobial resistance in veterinary practice was thus created. The antimicrobial-resistance learning site (AMRLS) for veterinary medical students was completed and made available for use in January 2011 (http://amrls.cvm.msu.edu/). Designed for integration into existing veterinary medical courses, the AMRLS is also a resource for continuing education for practicing veterinarians, animal scientists, and food-animal industry specialists. This Web site emphasizes the mechanisms by which AMR emerges and spreads, the significant role of veterinarians in mitigating AMR, and the need to preserve the efficacy of antibiotics for future generations.