Assessment of a Large-Scale Peer Learning Program's Value by Manual Review of Case Submissions

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Medical Education
• Quality Improvement

Background:

• Traditional metrics like submission numbers or report addendum rates may not accurately reflect the educational impact of peer learning programs (PLPs).
• Assessing the true educational value requires a deeper analysis of the content and quality of interactions within PLPs.
• Radiology departments increasingly implement PLPs to foster continuous learning and improve diagnostic accuracy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the educational value of a radiology peer learning program (PLP) by manually reviewing submitted cases.
• To identify factors correlating with meaningful learning opportunities (MLOs) within the PLP.
• To compare the MLO rate with traditional metrics like report addendum rates.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 336 randomly selected submissions to a radiology PLP.
• Two blinded radiologists categorized submissions as MLO, not meaningful, or equivocal, with consensus review for disagreements.
• Logistic regression was used to assess associations between PLP category, pay-for-performance interventions, subspecialty division, and MLOs.

Main Results:

• 65.2% of PLP submissions were categorized as meaningful learning opportunities (MLOs).
• The MLO rate was significantly higher (five times) than the report addendum rate (12.9%).
• MLO proportion and engagement varied by subspecialty division, with some submitting fewer MLOs.

Conclusions:

• Manual review of case submissions provides a more accurate measure of a PLP's educational impact.
• The implemented PLP demonstrates substantial educational value, with a high proportion of meaningful learning opportunities.
• Incentives to increase PLP usage did not negatively impact its educational quality.