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A Web-based course on infection control for physicians in training: an educational intervention.
Mohamad G Fakih1, Iram Enayet, Steven Minnick
1Department of Medicine, Wayne State University School of Medicine, St. John Hospital and Medical Center, Grosse Pointe Woods, MI 48236, USA. mohamad.fakih@stjohn.org
Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology
|June 30, 2006
Summary
Web-based infection control training improved scores for new physicians. However, knowledge retention decreased significantly after three months, indicating a need for ongoing assessment and reinforcement of infection control practices.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Infection Control
- Public Health
Background:
- Physicians in training require robust infection control knowledge.
- Traditional educational methods may not fully meet the needs of busy trainees.
- Web-based learning offers a flexible alternative for medical education.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the efficacy of a Web-based infection control course for physicians in training.
- To evaluate knowledge acquisition and retention after the course.
Main Methods:
- An educational intervention was conducted at a 607-bed urban teaching hospital.
- Two groups of physicians were studied: incoming postgraduate year 1 (iPGY1) and outgoing postgraduate (oPGY).
- The iPGY1 group completed a Web-based infection control course and post-course tests; the oPGY group took only the test for comparison.
Main Results:
- The iPGY1 group scored significantly higher (10.6) than the oPGY group (8.0) immediately after the course (P<.001).
- Knowledge retention in the iPGY1 group decreased significantly three months post-course, with scores dropping to 8.0 (P<.001).
- Significant score variations were observed among different residency programs within the oPGY group.
Conclusions:
- Web-based infection control courses are a valuable and engaging educational tool for physicians in training.
- Continuous evaluation of knowledge retention is crucial to identify trainees needing further infection control education.
- Further research into optimizing retention strategies for Web-based medical education is warranted.