Creation of an Advancing Adult and Pediatric Neurology Resident EEG Curriculum
Abstract number :
3.369
Submission category :
15. Practice Resources
Year :
2021
Submission ID :
1826403
Source :
www.aesnet.org
Presentation date :
12/6/2021 12:00:00 PM
Published date :
Nov 22, 2021, 06:54 AM
Authors :
Shilpa Reddy, MD - Vanderbilt University Medical Center; Richard Carozza, MD - Resident Physician, Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center; Brittany Passiak, MD - Resident Physician, Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Rationale: The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) milestones state that neurology residents should be able to “interpret common EEG abnormalities, recognize normal EEG variants, and create a report.” Yet, recent studies have shown that less than 40% of neurology residents express confidence in interpreting EEG without supervision, a majority are unable to recognize normal and abnormal EEG patterns, and 43% reported inability to read EEGs even with supervision1,2. Insufficient exposure and inadequate responsibility to read EEGs were listed as common barriers, with respondents from 43% of adult neurology residencies not having dedicated EEG rotations and 64% not having objective measurements to assess EEG milestones2,3. Our objective was to create a curriculum to increase practical experience and improve both confidence and competence reading EEGs.
1. Mahajan A, Cahill C, Scharf E, Gupta S, Ahrens S, Joe E, Schneider L. Neurology residency training in 2017: A survey of preparation, perspectives, and plans. Neurology. 2019;92(2):76-83.
2. Nascimento FA, Maheshwari A, Chu J, Gavvala JR. EEG education in neurology residency: background knowledge and focal challenges. Epileptic Disord. 2020;22(6):769-774.
3. Nascimento FA, Gavvala JR. Education Research: Neurology Resident EEG Education: A Survey of US Neurology Residency Program Directors. Neurology. 2021;96(17):821-824.
Methods: At our institution, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, adult and pediatric neurology residents have required EEG rotations in their first and second years of neurology training. In addition, some residents in their last year of residency choose an EEG elective. A curriculum consisting of inpatient and outpatient EEG responsibilities, specific learning objectives, self-directed, interactive modules, EEG lectures, epilepsy-related conferences, supplemental educational material, and tests was created for each of the 3 years of neurology training (junior, senior, and elective EEG rotations).
Results: Since the full implementation of our EEG curriculum in September 2019 up to June 2021, 6 adult and 16 pediatric neurology residents completed pre- and post-rotation tests to objectively measure improvement in EEG knowledge. As a combined group of 22 adult and pediatric neurology residents, there was a statistically significant improvement in pretest and posttest scores, with mean scores of 61% and 80%, respectively (p < 0.0001). More specifically, there was a statistically significant improvement in both junior and senior EEG rotation test scores for pediatric neurology residents (p=0.0003 and p=0.0010, respectively).
Conclusions: With the creation of an EEG curriculum with objectives, self-directed modules, and rotation responsibilities specific to each year of neurology training, adult and pediatric neurology residents demonstrated a statistically significant mean improvement between rotation pretest and posttest scores. Our structured and comprehensive EEG curriculum objectively improved EEG knowledge in neurology residents at our institution; other neurology training programs may consider the implementation of a similar curriculum to standardize and address gaps in resident EEG education.
Funding: Please list any funding that was received in support of this abstract.: None.
Practice Resources