From Guidelines to Practice: Case-Based Teaching Module to Improve MASLD Screening in Diabetes Care for Internal...

Area of Science:

• Hepatology
• Internal Medicine
• Medical Education

Background:

• Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is a growing health concern with significant complications.
• Current guidelines recommend screening for MASLD in patients with type 2 diabetes, utilizing tools like the Fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) index.
• Primary care physicians require updated knowledge on MASLD screening and risk stratification.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of a case-based educational session on internal medicine residents' knowledge of MASLD.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of targeted interventions in improving MASLD screening and referral practices.
• To enhance the understanding and application of guideline-based MASLD management in primary care settings.

Main Methods:

• A 30-minute case-based educational session on MASLD was delivered to 54 internal medicine residents.
• Participants completed pre-session, immediate post-session, and year-end surveys assessing MASLD knowledge and clinical impact.
• Knowledge scores were analyzed using ANOVA and paired t-tests to determine statistical significance.

Main Results:

• Overall MASLD knowledge scores significantly improved from presession to postsession (mean 6.57 to 9.20, p < .001).
• Knowledge of Epidemiology and Practices related to MASLD also showed significant improvement post-intervention.
• Long-term, 71% reported screening changes and 76% reported referral practice changes, indicating sustained impact.

Conclusions:

• Targeted educational interventions effectively enhance physician knowledge of MASLD screening guidelines and FIB-4 index interpretation.
• Improved knowledge translates into significant changes in clinical practice regarding MASLD screening and hepatology referrals.
• These findings underscore the importance of continuous medical education for managing prevalent liver conditions like MASLD.