Purpose: Colposcopy is an indispensable part of cervical cancer screening and prevention. However, in most training programs, there is little by way of a formalized curriculum.
Background: We created an image-based teaching tool and hypothesized that this tool, in a mobile app format, would increase resident comfort with colposcopic procedures and quantitatively increase their ability to correlate colposcopic images with impressions.
Methods: This was a randomized controlled trial conducted amongst Northwestern ObGyn residents during March of 2021. 38 residents participated and were randomized to either an app user or an independent study control group. Both groups were surveyed before and after their training and completed a post-intervention cognitive exam. The power analysis calculation hypothesized that the intervention group would be significantly more comfortable with colposcopy (75% vs. 30%).
Results: Of the 46 targeted residents, 38 residents agreed to participate and 26 completed all elements of the study. On the image exam, app users performed slightly better when compared to the independent study group [mean score:14.9 (SD = 2.15) vs.14.0 (SD = 3.27), P = 0.39]. App users also were more likely to be confident in providing an overall colposcopic impression compared to the independent study group [73% vs. 30%, P = 0.111]. 100% of the participants in the app user group said that they would recommend the tool to other residents and residency programs.
Discussions: Image based teaching tools, such as the ICE-TI app, facilitate convenience learning and are valued by learners. They can be a useful adjunct to standardized colposcopy curricula.
Topics: CREOG & APGO Annual Meeting, 2022, Student, Resident, Faculty, Clerkship Director, Clerkship Coordinator, Residency Director, Residency Coordinator, Patient Care, Medical Knowledge, Practice-Based Learning & Improvement, GME, CME, Assessment, Virtual Patient, Simulation, Independent Study, Gynecologic Oncology, General Ob-Gyn,
Susan M. Folsom, MD, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center; Helen Cejtin, MD; Magdy Milad, MD; Weronika Armstrong, MD
