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Evidence based curriculum design--use of a surgical database to identify non-perceived needs in educating
Corey Tomlinson1, Erin Wright, Bradley Rowe
1Division of General Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alberta Hospitals & Stollery Children's Hospital, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Insights
Pediatric otolaryngologists frequently encounter non-otolaryngological diagnoses (N-OD) in surgical patients, including conditions like GERD, obesity, and developmental delays. This study highlights common N-OD to aid in medical education for otolaryngologists.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Otolaryngology
- Pediatric Surgery
- Clinical Diagnosis
Background:
- Pediatric otolaryngologists manage a diverse patient population.
- Identifying co-occurring non-otolaryngological diagnoses (N-OD) is crucial for comprehensive patient care.
- Understanding these N-OD can inform specialized training and medical education.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence and types of common non-otolaryngological diagnoses (N-OD) in pediatric surgical patients.
- To provide insights for curriculum development and continuing medical education for pediatric otolaryngologists.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of a pediatric otolaryngologist's surgical case load from 2006-2008.
- Analysis of 1357 pediatric surgical entries at a tertiary pediatric center.
- Exclusion of surgical complications and primary otolaryngological conditions.
Main Results:
- 38.6% of surgical entries (524 patients) included N-OD, totaling 580 diagnoses.
- Common N-OD included gastro-esophageal reflux disease, obesity, prematurity, congenital heart disease, asthma, developmental delay, and Down syndrome.
- Most frequent categories were developmental (138), cardio-respiratory (114), and gastro-intestinal (114).
Conclusions:
- This study identifies frequent non-otolaryngological diagnoses in pediatric otolaryngology surgical patients.
- Findings can guide the content of residency training and continuing medical education for otolaryngologists.
- Awareness of these common N-OD enhances holistic patient management.
Objective:
To identify the common non-otolaryngological diagnoses (N-OD) encountered by a pediatric otolaryngologist in surgical patients. This information may help in educating otolaryngologists on relevant pediatric conditions among their patients.
Design/Setting:
Cross-sectional, retrospective database review of entries from 2006 to 2008 at a tertiary pediatric centre involving the patient case load of a busy pediatric otolaryngologist.
Main Outcome Measures:
The main outcome of this study was to identify the common (N-OD) encountered by a pediatric otolaryngologist. Conditions excluded from the analysis were surgical complications and diagnoses managed primarily by otolaryngologists (sleep disordered breathing and allergic rhinitis).
Results:
1357 pediatric surgical entries were identified. Of these, 524 (38.6%) entries contained N-OD and underwent surgery. A total of 580 N-OD were identified for these 524 patients. The N-OD were identified and categorized into the following subheadings: syndromes/associations, respiratory and cardiac, gastrointestinal, developmental, metabolic, and miscellaneous conditions. The most common N-OD are gastro-esophageal reflux disease, obesity, history of prematurity, congenital heart disease, asthma developmental delay and Down syndrome. The commonest categories encountered were developmental (138), cardio-respiratory (114) and gastro-intestinal (114).
Conclusions:
This paper identifies the common N-OD encountered by a pediatric otolaryngologist in children managed at a tertiary level. The highlighted N-OD may help as a guide on curriculum content for training residents and fellows and continued medical education.
