An Introduction to Clinical Informatics for Early Medical Learners Using Colorectal Cancer Screening
Introduction Clinical informatics is an important component of the AMA-endorsed third pillar of undergraduate medical education, health systems science. Discrete educational opportunities for clinical informatics and health systems science among early learners are lacking in medical school curricula...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Association of American Medical Colleges
2024-01-01
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| Series: | MedEdPORTAL |
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| Online Access: | http://www.mededportal.org/doi/10.15766/mep_2374-8265.11379 |
| _version_ | 1797361270590013440 |
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| author | Alan Williams Kasi Chu Colby Uptegraft Joshua Duncan |
| author_facet | Alan Williams Kasi Chu Colby Uptegraft Joshua Duncan |
| author_sort | Alan Williams |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Introduction Clinical informatics is an important component of the AMA-endorsed third pillar of undergraduate medical education, health systems science. Discrete educational opportunities for clinical informatics and health systems science among early learners are lacking in medical school curricula. Methods We developed and evaluated a multistep, 2.5-hour activity during the gastroenterology module to introduce these topics to preclerkship medical students. A didactic session introducing clinical informatics and clinical decision support and reviewing health promotion and screening concepts was followed by small-group activities. Students worked through a series of exercises culminating in the generation of a clinical decision support tool based on the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) colorectal cancer screening recommendations. Results Between 2022 and 2023, 326 first-year medical students participated in this workshop. Feedback was predictably mixed. In 2022, 88% of postclass survey respondents confirmed having a better clinical informatics understanding after the workshop. In 2023, students reported a statistically significant increase in their self-reported understanding of the role of clinical informatics, clinical decision support, and USPSTF colorectal cancer recommendations. Discussion Clinical decision support is a viable pathway for introduction of clinical informatics, health systems science, and public health/prevention topics. Our educational approach offers an interactive introduction to this group of topics that can benefit future physicians. While colon cancer provides a robust option for the clinical situation, this activity could be modified to fit into many different clinical scenarios, allowing for interdisciplinary education during either undergraduate or graduate medical education. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T15:51:26Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-207dbab47ab2447aa5fb3468f1ea29d6 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2374-8265 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T15:51:26Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | Association of American Medical Colleges |
| record_format | Article |
| series | MedEdPORTAL |
| spelling | doaj.art-207dbab47ab2447aa5fb3468f1ea29d62024-01-09T05:00:11ZengAssociation of American Medical CollegesMedEdPORTAL2374-82652024-01-012010.15766/mep_2374-8265.11379An Introduction to Clinical Informatics for Early Medical Learners Using Colorectal Cancer ScreeningAlan Williams0Kasi Chu1Colby Uptegraft2Joshua Duncan3Associate Professor, Department of Family Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences F. Edward Hébert School of MedicineAssistant Professor, Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences F. Edward Hébert School of MedicineClinical Branch Chief, Health Informatics Directorate, Defense Health AgencyAssistant Professor, Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences F. Edward Hébert School of MedicineIntroduction Clinical informatics is an important component of the AMA-endorsed third pillar of undergraduate medical education, health systems science. Discrete educational opportunities for clinical informatics and health systems science among early learners are lacking in medical school curricula. Methods We developed and evaluated a multistep, 2.5-hour activity during the gastroenterology module to introduce these topics to preclerkship medical students. A didactic session introducing clinical informatics and clinical decision support and reviewing health promotion and screening concepts was followed by small-group activities. Students worked through a series of exercises culminating in the generation of a clinical decision support tool based on the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) colorectal cancer screening recommendations. Results Between 2022 and 2023, 326 first-year medical students participated in this workshop. Feedback was predictably mixed. In 2022, 88% of postclass survey respondents confirmed having a better clinical informatics understanding after the workshop. In 2023, students reported a statistically significant increase in their self-reported understanding of the role of clinical informatics, clinical decision support, and USPSTF colorectal cancer recommendations. Discussion Clinical decision support is a viable pathway for introduction of clinical informatics, health systems science, and public health/prevention topics. Our educational approach offers an interactive introduction to this group of topics that can benefit future physicians. While colon cancer provides a robust option for the clinical situation, this activity could be modified to fit into many different clinical scenarios, allowing for interdisciplinary education during either undergraduate or graduate medical education.http://www.mededportal.org/doi/10.15766/mep_2374-8265.11379Colon CancerGastroenterologyHealth SystemsInformatics/Health ITPopulation HealthPreventive Medicine |
| spellingShingle | Alan Williams Kasi Chu Colby Uptegraft Joshua Duncan An Introduction to Clinical Informatics for Early Medical Learners Using Colorectal Cancer Screening MedEdPORTAL Colon Cancer Gastroenterology Health Systems Informatics/Health IT Population Health Preventive Medicine |
| title | An Introduction to Clinical Informatics for Early Medical Learners Using Colorectal Cancer Screening |
| title_full | An Introduction to Clinical Informatics for Early Medical Learners Using Colorectal Cancer Screening |
| title_fullStr | An Introduction to Clinical Informatics for Early Medical Learners Using Colorectal Cancer Screening |
| title_full_unstemmed | An Introduction to Clinical Informatics for Early Medical Learners Using Colorectal Cancer Screening |
| title_short | An Introduction to Clinical Informatics for Early Medical Learners Using Colorectal Cancer Screening |
| title_sort | introduction to clinical informatics for early medical learners using colorectal cancer screening |
| topic | Colon Cancer Gastroenterology Health Systems Informatics/Health IT Population Health Preventive Medicine |
| url | http://www.mededportal.org/doi/10.15766/mep_2374-8265.11379 |
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