Effectiveness of an Online Pediatric Primary Care Curriculum

Objective

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a supplementary online pediatric primary care (PPC) curriculum in reaching pediatric residents and increasing knowledge in selected primary care topics.

Methods

We conducted a nonrandomized, controlled, pre-test/post-test study comparing an online PPC curriculum supplement with the traditional formal, conference-based curriculum alone, both with identical content. We compared 2 groups of first-year categorical pediatric residents from 2 successive years: one group (from 2006–2007) was offered the online curriculum supplement (study group) and one (2005–2006) was not (control group). Comparisons were made using the following: 1) pre-testing and post-testing of knowledge; and 2) monitoring of attendance at the formal conferences and accessing the online curriculum.

Results

The control group of 33 residents and the study group of 34 residents were similar with respect to gender, age, and first-year in-training exam scores. In the first quarter of the year, 93% (mean) of the study group accessed the online curriculum; 43% accessed it in the last quarter of the year. For the same time periods, 33% and 30% of all of the residents (intervention and control groups combined) attended the noon conferences. The pre-test and post-test scores of the study group showed a significant increase (P < .001), and the post-test score comparison of study versus control group was also significant (P = .035). There were no significant differences in the in-training exam scores between the 2 groups for exams given at the beginning of their second year.

Conclusion

An online PPC curriculum is an effective supplement to traditional resident education and reaches a significantly larger number of residents compared with the traditional conference-based format.

Key Words: distance learning, medical education, pediatric primary care, resident education