DERM: A Four-Step Dermatology Education Digital Tool Kit for Nondermatologists

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Dermatology
• Primary Care

Background:

• Dermatology training is often insufficient in postgraduate primary care medical education.
• Numerous dermatological resources exist, but guidance on their effective use is lacking.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a digital toolkit (DERM) for primary care residents to describe, evaluate, recognize, and manage common dermatological conditions.
• To assess the impact of the DERM toolkit on residents' clinical confidence in dermatology.

Main Methods:

• A 7-week intervention using the DERM toolkit with 14 family medicine and 33 internal medicine residents.
• Pre- and post-intervention anonymous surveys measured self-reported comfort and resource utilization.

Main Results:

• High response rates from family medicine (100%) and internal medicine (52%) residents.
• A significant increase in resident comfort was observed in describing (P=0.002), recognizing/diagnosing (P<0.001), and managing (P=0.001) dermatologic conditions.
• Most residents reported minimal prior dermatology education and desired more in their curriculum.

Conclusions:

• The DERM digital toolkit is a feasible educational resource for primary care residents.
• Implementation of the DERM toolkit significantly improves resident comfort in managing dermatologic conditions.