Continuing education for clinicians in the genomics era

NIH RePORTER · NIH · UL1 · $109,875 · view on reporter.nih.gov ↗

Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY Since the completion of Human Genome Project in 2003, the field of genomics has been widely touted as a game changer in clinical medicine. However, surveys show that many clinicians feel inadequate discussing genomics with patients, and specifically, lack confidence and knowledge to order and interpret genetic testing and to use results in clinical practice. Genomics continuing education for clinicians has yielded mixed results due to hurdles in implementing programs, such as institutional support, competing priorities for the clinicians, and availability of only long didactic lectures that lack engagement for the learner. Therefore, we propose creating self-paced learning modules that utilize unfolding cases to educate clinicians in genomics, especially implementing genetic testing in the clinic. Basic genetic and genomic concepts, in the form of short one- to three-minute whiteboard-animated videos, infographics, and definitions will appear as the learner clicks through each module. Many of these basic elements can be reused per module, aligning with basic concepts. However, since the program is non-linear, those concepts won’t be repeated to bore and lose the learner. It is the learners’ choice to select which concepts they need to learn and when and if they need a concept repeated. Our aims are to 1) develop and test units of genomic education intended to stand alone or be used in medical, advance practice nursing and physician assistant continuing education; 2) develop and implement a multifaceted genomics continuing education curriculum to develop unit and specialty-based genomic clinician champions; and 3) evaluate the effectiveness of the genomics education program to enable clinicians to implement genomics in their clinical practice. Once the modules are developed, we will randomize specialty divisions at CCHMC and UC Health to receive invitations to either be part of a “genomic champions” group that includes online instruction followed by monthly case discussion or a control group that receives advertising for the availability of the genomics education only. Clinicians will receive continuing education credits upon completion of the modules. We hypothesize that a larger proportion of clinicians (MDs, DOs, APRNs, PAs) from divisions with a champion will demonstrate a greater gain in confidence and use of genetics than learners from divisions without a champion at 9 months after completion of the modules. We will compare the proportion of learners in each group that complete the full set of modules. We hypothesize that divisions with a genomics champions will have a higher proportion of their clinicians complete the full set of modules. Our institution has committed resources to assure the success and sustainability of our modules and curriculum. This program will provide an opportunity for clinicians to increase genomic literacy to improve the delivery of healthcare in the era of genomic medicine. Our long-term goal is to...

Key facts

NIH application ID
10154567
Project number
3UL1TR001425-05A1S1
Recipient
UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI
Principal Investigator
JAMES E. HEUBI
Activity code
UL1
Funding institute
NIH
Fiscal year
2020
Award amount
$109,875
Award type
3
Project period
2015-08-14 → 2025-03-31