521 - Impact of Changing to an Active, Case-Based Format on Resident Conference Attendance, Satisfaction, and Learning

Monday, May 1, 2023

9:30 AM – 11:30 AM ET

Poster Number: 521
Publication Number: 521.424

Morgan E. Irwin-Weyant, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States; Evan Rajadhyaksha, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States; Linda A.. Waggoner-Fountain, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States; Stephen M. Borowitz, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States

Presenting Author(s)

Morgan E. Weyant, MD (she/her/hers)

Resident
University of Virginia
Charlottesville, Virginia, United States

Background: Learners in graduate medical education prefer active learning over traditional didactic lectures. Conferences that employ these techniques may result in greater learner satisfaction and long-term knowledge retention than traditional lectures.

Objective: Characterize the impact of switching from a didactic lecture format to case-based active learning on resident and faculty satisfaction, conference attendance, long-term knowledge retention, and interpersonal connections.

Design/Methods:
For the first two months of the academic year, our residency program provides daily presentations on “acute care” topics. In previous years, presenters were assigned a topic without guidelines, most commonly resulting in didactic lectures. For this pilot study, presenters were encouraged to structure their talks in a case-based format. Sample presentation templates and relevant board-style questions were provided.
Knowledge retention was assessed via board style questions highlighting one learning point from each presentation, which were sent 2-4 weeks after each lecture. Residents’ perceived attention, participation, and acquisition of knowledge for each lecture format were assessed by self-reported percentage scores (0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, 100%). Using a Likert scale ranging from significantly decreased (1) to significantly increased (5), residents and faculty were asked to rate how the change in conference format fostered residency connections.
Descriptive statistics were calculated, and results compared using unpaired t-tests.

Results: In total, 21/28 (75%) “acute care” lectures were given in a case-based format. Surveys were completed by 25/30 (83%) residents and 9/27 (33%) faculty presenters. Learners reported less distraction (45% vs 53%, p=0.22) and more participation (41% vs 34%, p=0.32) with case-based format, with no change in perceived knowledge acquisition (63% vs 63%) or conference attendance (59% vs 65%, p=0.31). Both residents and faculty reported increased connection to the residents (4.36 vs 4.17, p=0.46 and 4.13 vs 3.00, p=0.04, respectively) with the change. Residents scored better on follow-up questions when the presenter used a case-based format (69% vs 65%, p=0.57).

Conclusion(s): These data suggest case-based conferences may improve long-term knowledge retention, as well as resident participation and attentiveness. This format appears to generate a greater connection to the residency program for both residents and faculty, which may be a useful tool for fostering interpersonal connections as education conferences readjust after changes made for the pandemic.