Effectiveness of a quality improvement curriculum for medical students.

This study was an observational study that involved a self-assessment and post-test Quality Improvement Knowledge Application Tool (QIKAT) for intervention and control students. A QI curriculum consisting of online modules, live discussions, independent readings and reflective writing, and participation in a mentored QI project was offered to fourth-year medical students completing an honor's elective (intervention group). Senior medical students who received the standard QI curriculum only were recruited as controls. RESULTS: A total of 22 intervention students and 12 control students completed the self-assessment and QIKAT. At baseline, there was no difference between groups in self-reported prior exposure to QI principles. Students in the intervention group reported more comfort with their skills in QI overall and in 9 of the 12 domains (p<0.05). Additionally, intervention students performed better in each of the three case scenarios (p<0.01). DISCUSSION: A brief QI curriculum for senior medical students results in improved comfort and knowledge with QI principles. The strengths of our curriculum include effective use of classroom time and faculty mentorship with reliance on pre-existing online modules and written resources. Additionally, the curriculum is easily expandable to larger groups of students and transferable to other institutions. PMID: 25960052 [PubMed - in process]
Source: Medical Education Online - Category: Universities & Medical Training Tags: Med Educ Online Source Type: research