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Air Pollution Education: A Novel Curriculum for Pulmonary Fellows
Rachel M Wojcik1, Gillian C Goobie1,2,3, Franziska Rosser4
1Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
ATS Scholar
|August 8, 2026
Summary
Pulmonary fellows showed increased knowledge of air pollution's health impacts after completing a new curriculum. This training is crucial for addressing patient concerns about environmental exposures.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Medical Education
- Pulmonology
Background:
- Air pollution significantly impacts human respiratory health.
- Despite known risks, air pollution's health effects are inadequately covered in graduate medical education, especially pulmonary fellowships.
- Increasing climate change and air pollution necessitate better-informed pulmonologists.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and assess an air pollution curriculum tailored for pulmonary fellows.
- To address the knowledge gap regarding air pollution and its health implications for pulmonologists.
Main Methods:
- Utilized Kern's six-step curriculum development model.
- Defined five key domains: composition, health effects, monitoring, risk mitigation, and environmental justice.
- Developed a 20-item knowledge scale for pre- and post-assessment, incorporating spaced repetition and active recall.
Main Results:
- Significant knowledge increase across all five curriculum domains (p < 0.001).
- Curriculum received positive feedback, with requests for repetition and expansion.
- Demonstrated feasibility and effectiveness of the educational intervention.
Conclusions:
- An air pollution curriculum effectively enhances knowledge for pulmonary and critical care trainees.
- This training is vital for equipping specialists to guide patients on environmental exposures.
- The curriculum serves as a model for integrating essential environmental health topics into medical education.
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