Internal medicine paging curriculum to improve physician-nurse interprofessional communication: a single center pilot study

Effective physician-nurse communication is critical to patient safety, yet internal medicine trainees are rarely given feedback on this skill. In order to address this gap, we developed a 4-week simulated paging curriculum for senior medical students. Standardized Registered Nurses administered five acute inpatient paging cases to students via telephone and scored communication on a 10-point global scale (1 = highly ineffective to 10 = highly effective) and seven communication domains using a 5-point Likert-type scale. The domains included precision/clarity, instructive, directing, assertive, ability to solicit information, engaged, and structured communication. Students received verbal and written feedback from the nurses on communication skills and clinical decision-making. Our primary goal was to determine if student-nurse communication improved throughout the curriculum. Data were analyzed using multivariate ANOVAs with repeated measures. Twenty-seven students participated. Global communication scores increased significantly from case 1 to case 5 (7.1 to 8.7, p < .01). The following communication domains increased significantly: precision (3.8 to 4.4, p < .01), instructive (3.6 to 4.7, p < .01), directing (4.0 to 4.6, p = .02), assertiveness (4.0 to 4.7, p = .04), engaged (4.1 to 4.7, p < .01). In conclusion, this curriculum can be an innovative approach to improve physician-nurse communication using standardized registered nurses to deliver structured feedback to medical trainees.

Sexual and gender minority health-related content in geriatric fellowships

INTRODUCTION

Despite a growing number of older lesbian, gay, bisexual transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) adults in the United States, education on care for this vulnerable population has historically been inadequate across all levels of training. This research assessed the extent of LGBTQ education in geriatric medicine fellowship curricula across the United States.

METHODS

We designed a survey to anonymously collect information from geriatric medicine fellowship programs on LGBTQ curricular content. Eligible participants included all 160 fellowship directors on record with the American Geriatrics Society. The survey addressed demographics of the fellowship program, current state of inclusion of LGBTQ content in didactic curricula and in clinical settings, and other available training opportunities.

RESULTS

Out of those contacted, 80 (50%) completed the survey. Of the programs surveyed, 60 (75%) were housed in internal medicine, 19 (24%) were in family medicine, and one was in their own department. Forty-seven fellowships (59%) reported some formal didactic session (e.g., lecture or case based), with the majority of these programs (72%) featuring 1-2 h of formal instruction. Forty-five programs (56%) reported offering no formal clinical experiences. There was less than 50% coverage for all surveyed topics in the required curriculum (range 46% for discrimination to 9% for gender affirming care). Time and lack of expertise were cited as the main barriers to content inclusion.

CONCLUSIONS

Curricular content regarding care for LGBTQ older adults is inadequate in geriatric medicine fellowships. Faculty development of current educators and providing standardized guidelines and curricula are steps toward addressing this deficit.

Oral Health for Older Adults: An Interprofessional Workshop for Medical Students

INTRODUCTION

Because many older adults lack dental insurance and have limited or no access to dental care, it is essential to train future physicians to conduct brief oral health assessments on them. Likewise, interprofessional educational experiences are crucial in teaching medical students the skills necessary to provide comprehensive, team-based care to complex and vulnerable populations. Thus, this workshop was designed to increase fourth-year medical students' knowledge and confidence in performing oral health examinations on older adult patients using an interprofessional and hands-on approach.

METHODS

The curriculum includes an online presession self-study module followed by a 75-minute workshop. The workshop is comprised of a brief introduction (5 minutes), a lecture about the impact of oral health on older adults (30 minutes), a hands-on skill session practicing a focused oral exam led by dental students (30 minutes), and a large-group debrief and wrap-up (10 minutes).

RESULTS

A pre-/postsurvey assessed learners' knowledge, attitudes, and confidence in oral health skills. The results were compared to a lecture-only format that was in place prior to the implementation of the workshop. In comparison to medical students who received the lecture-only format, those who participated in the workshop showed a greater increase in confidence and skills over time. The medical students also expressed interest in more frequent opportunities for collaborative learning experiences with dental students.

DISCUSSION

This workshop was successful in introducing an interprofessional experience to medical students in order to ensure more comprehensive and coordinated care for older adult patients in the future.

Inequities in the care of older adults: Identifying education gaps in geriatric medicine fellowship

The past year amplified inequities in the care of older adults. Milestones focused on social determinants of health (SDOH) are lacking within Geriatric fellowship training. A virtual learning collaborative GERIAtrics Fellows Learning Online And Together (GERI-A-FLOAT) was developed to connect trainees nationwide. To address gaps in education around SDOH, a needs assessment was conducted to inform a curricular thread. A voluntary, anonymous survey was distributed to fellows through a broad network. We sought to understand prior curricula trainees had that were specifically focused on SDOH and older adults. Respondents prioritized topic areas for the curriculum. Seventy-five respondents completed the survey. More than 50% of participants indicated no training on homelessness, immigration, racism, or LGBTQ+ health at any level of medical training, with more than 70% having no training in sexism or care of formerly incarcerated older adults. The most commonly taught concepts were ableism, ageism, and poverty. Respondents prioritized the topic of racism, ageism, and ableism. There is a lack of consistent SDOH curricula pertaining to older adults across all levels of training. This needs assessment is guiding a curricular thread for GERI-A-FLOAT and ideally larger milestones for fellowships. The time is now to prepare future geriatricians to serve as change agents.

An Interactive Workshop on Managing Dysphagia in Older Adults With Dementia

Introduction

Nearly six million American adults live with dementia, and dysphagia is a common comorbidity impacting their nutrition and quality of life. There is a shortfall in the number of geriatricians available to care for older adults. Thus, primary care physicians should be equipped with the knowledge to adequately care for the geriatric population. Modified diets are routinely prescribed for patients with dementia despite limited evidence that they protect patients from the sequelae of dysphagia and some suggestion of poor side-effect profiles.

Methods

We created a onetime, interactive, case-based session to educate medical residents on how to evaluate and treat dementia-associated dysphagia and address the discrepancy between the limited evidence for dietary modifications and their routine use. The session had a mixture of small-group discussion and didactic learning as well as a participatory component during which learners were able to sample thickened liquids.

Results

The session was implemented in an established primary care curriculum. Based on survey responses, which were obtained from 15 out of 17 participants, the session significantly improved participants' knowledge of dysphagia-associated dementia and increased their comfort with caring for patients with dysphagia.

Discussion

Dementia-associated dysphagia, although an increasingly common clinical problem, remains an underexamined area of medicine. We successfully implemented a session on this topic for internal medicine residents on the primary care track. Limitations included generalizability due to the small number of residents in the course and inability to gather sufficient data to see if knowledge learned was sustained over time.

Geriatrics Fellows Learning Online And Together (Geri-a-FLOAT): A sustainable model of learning and support

BACKGROUND

Geriatrics Fellows Learning Online And Together (Geri-a-FLOAT) is a virtual curriculum designed to convene fellows nationwide for learning and peer support. This paper presents the expansion and evaluation of the program from the "Wave 1" pilot to the "Wave 2" year-long curriculum.

METHODS

Kern's six-step approach to curriculum development was used to develop the Wave 2 curriculum. Participation was collected via Zoom. Post-session web-based surveys evaluated participant satisfaction regarding speaker, content, and overall session quality; intent-to-change; and a free-response section. A one-year follow-up survey sent to participants with valid e-mail addresses assessed sustained knowledge, skills, and behavior change.

RESULTS

Nineteen sessions were held with mean (SD) of 23 (13) participants per session, totaling 182 unique participants. Fifteen of 19 sessions were evaluated with 96 evaluations completed (mean [SD] 6 [4] evaluations per session). Mean (SD) ratings per session that were excellent or above average was 100% (0) for content, 99% (4) for speaker, and 99% (4) overall. Mean (SD) evaluations per session noting intent to change was 90% (14). Respondents reported helpful aspects as sharing resources and examples, perspectives and experiences of others, professional connections, and collaborative discussion. Of 127 participants with valid e-mail addresses, 40 (response rate = 31%) completed the one-year follow-up survey. Mean (SD) respondents reporting some or significant sustained impact was 89% (7) across all learning outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

This virtual, national curriculum for geriatrics fellows was well-received and associated with high rates of self-reported, sustained impact one-year post curriculum. Geri-a-FLOAT may be a model to standardize education and build collaboration and peer support across a discipline.