TY - JOUR
T1 - Implementation of a Competency-based Pressure Ulcer Curriculum for Medical Students
T2 - Outcomes from an educational intervention study
AU - Van Zuilen, Maria Hendrika
AU - Kamath, Preetha
AU - Palacios, Juan Carlos
AU - Soares, Marcio Rotta
N1 - Funding Information:
POTENTIAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST: This project was funded in part with grant support from the Donald W. Reynolds
Publisher Copyright:
© 2019 HMP Communications. All rights reserved.
PY - 2019
Y1 - 2019
N2 - A paucity of research exists on medical student pressure ulcer education. PURPOSE: This study examines medical student competency outcomes following implementation of a competency-based curriculum that included a pressure ulcer component in its educational intervention. METHODS: Over a 5-year period, 645 medical students completed the curriculum, which included a preceptor-led didactic session, online study resources, clinical experiences, and a brief online competency assessment. The assessment involved knowledge of risk factors, wound staging/classification, and prevention and management strategies and included short answer and extended matching questions. A performance standard was set; students not achieving this standard underwent remediation and reassessment. The curriculum was implemented in 3 phases with quality improvement (QI) between each phase. The average competency assessment score and passing rates were determined for each phase. Mean scores for each phase were compared using an analysis of variance test. RESULTS: Mean competency assessment scores increased significantly after each QI from 17.5 (range 11–23) to 18.3 (range 12–24) to 19.8 (range 12–25) in phases 1, 2 and 3, respectively [F(2,642) = 59.502, P <.001]; the performance standard was raised after both QI points. Overall, 8.7% of students underwent remediation and reassessment, but all achieved the performance standard on their second attempt. CONCLUSION: Through a thoughtful QI process that involved carefully aligning all curricular elements (the instructional activities and the assessment), a focused and accountable curriculum was developed that ensured all medical students in the program would achieve a basic level of competency. Increasingly, accreditation agencies are asking medical schools to move toward competency-based curricula. This curriculum represents an important step in this direction.
AB - A paucity of research exists on medical student pressure ulcer education. PURPOSE: This study examines medical student competency outcomes following implementation of a competency-based curriculum that included a pressure ulcer component in its educational intervention. METHODS: Over a 5-year period, 645 medical students completed the curriculum, which included a preceptor-led didactic session, online study resources, clinical experiences, and a brief online competency assessment. The assessment involved knowledge of risk factors, wound staging/classification, and prevention and management strategies and included short answer and extended matching questions. A performance standard was set; students not achieving this standard underwent remediation and reassessment. The curriculum was implemented in 3 phases with quality improvement (QI) between each phase. The average competency assessment score and passing rates were determined for each phase. Mean scores for each phase were compared using an analysis of variance test. RESULTS: Mean competency assessment scores increased significantly after each QI from 17.5 (range 11–23) to 18.3 (range 12–24) to 19.8 (range 12–25) in phases 1, 2 and 3, respectively [F(2,642) = 59.502, P <.001]; the performance standard was raised after both QI points. Overall, 8.7% of students underwent remediation and reassessment, but all achieved the performance standard on their second attempt. CONCLUSION: Through a thoughtful QI process that involved carefully aligning all curricular elements (the instructional activities and the assessment), a focused and accountable curriculum was developed that ensured all medical students in the program would achieve a basic level of competency. Increasingly, accreditation agencies are asking medical schools to move toward competency-based curricula. This curriculum represents an important step in this direction.
KW - Competency based education
KW - Curriculum
KW - Medical education
KW - Medical students
KW - Pressure ulcers
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85075150948&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85075150948&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.25270/wmp.2019.4.4247
DO - 10.25270/wmp.2019.4.4247
M3 - Article
C2 - 30994474
AN - SCOPUS:85075150948
VL - 65
SP - 42
EP - 47
JO - Wound management & prevention
JF - Wound management & prevention
SN - 2640-5237
IS - 4
ER -