B38-14 An E-learning Curriculum on Applied Respiratory Physiology for Pulmonary and Critical Care Fellowship Programs

Abstract Respiratory physiology constitutes essential knowledge for a comprehensive understanding by pulmonary critical care physicians. There is a notable absence of formal education specifically tailored for advanced trainees. A significant decline in respiratory physiology knowledge occurs between medical schools and fellowships, underscoring the necessity for curricula specifically designed for fellows (Maximous et al., 2024). There is no cost-free, scalable, and readily applicable respiratory physiology course within a PCCM fellowship program. We developed an e-learning course specifically targeting PCCM fellows. A needs analysis was conducted among faculty physicians in the PCCM program. Physicians surveyed identified the formal interpretation of PFTs as the primary area requiring enhancement. A deficiency in training related to respiratory physiology as it pertains to PFT interpretation has been identified. We developed a curriculum aimed at standardizing training in these areas by utilizing our program to evaluate the curriculum’s effectiveness and feasibility. This curriculum is specifically designed for fellows undergoing training in the PCCM. All participants completed a pre-test one day prior to engaging in the curriculum. Test questions were formulated with input from PCCM faculty physicians who reviewed the questions to achieve a target difficulty index of 50-70%. The curriculum comprises five interactive modules, each focusing on a distinct aspect of PFTs and their associated respiratory physiology. The online teaching and learning platform “Edpuzzle” facilitated the creation of interactive videos with integrated questions pertinent to each module’s topic, enabling us to monitor trainee participation. Trainees completed a post-test one month after the completion of the modules to evaluate the effectiveness of the instruction and retention of knowledge. Twelve fellows within a single PCCM fellowship program have completed the curriculum. The time required to complete the curriculum is an average of three hours in total, including the pre-test, modules, and post-test. The mean score on the pre-test was 42.95% ± 15.19%. The score on the post-test was 58.66% ± 15.89% (Figure 1). This increase in score at the time of post-testing was statistically significant (p = 0.039) as determined using a paired t-test. The significant increase in test scores highlights the effectiveness of an interactive online respiratory physiology course. It addresses the gap in medical education by reinforcing core physiological concepts that may be forgotten between medical schools and fellowships. As an e-learning course, the curriculum can be easily scaled to accommodate fellowship programs of any size, eliminating the need for substantial investment in faculty time, money, and equipment. This abstract is funded by: None