INteractive Virtual Expert-Led Skills Training: A Multi-Modal Curriculum for Medical Trainees

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
• Digital Health

Background:

• Pediatric depression and suicide present significant global challenges, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Shortages of Child & Adolescent Psychiatrists (CAP) necessitate enhanced training for primary care physicians.
• The INVEST curriculum addresses the need for accessible pediatric mental health training.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate the "INteractive Virtual Expert-led Skills Training" (INVEST) curriculum.
• To assess medical student and resident perceptions of the virtual training.
• To improve learners' knowledge and comfort in managing pediatric depression and suicidality.

Main Methods:

• A 60-minute virtual synchronous curriculum using active learning strategies.
• Incorporated audience response polling, video modeling, and expert-led discussions.
• 149 medical students and residents completed pre- and post-training surveys.

Main Results:

• Significant positive gains in perceived likelihood of encountering pediatric suicidality.
• Increased knowledge and comfort with depression screening and suicidality assessment.
• Medical students reported the greatest benefit, particularly in discussing positive depression screens and suicidality.

Conclusions:

• INVEST is a novel, virtual, multimodal curriculum for pediatric mental health.
• The training shows promise in equipping medical learners with essential skills.
• This accessible, synchronous curriculum benefits diverse learners, especially during the pandemic.