Master Level Learning

Clinical Center

Investigators

Abstract

Regarding the mastery learning project for mechanical ventilation in incoming Critical Care fellows, we have collected survey and test data from the summer, winter, and spring for three sets of Critical Care fellows who started their fellowships from 2016 to 2025. In 2024 we collected data from 186 fellows (N=186). We performed the statistical analysis (by linear mixed model) to determine whether the education program improves test performance and whether decay of knowledge occurs between summer and winter testing as well as winter and spring testing. We published the results in a peer-reviewed manuscript (https://www.atsjournals.org/doi/full/10.34197/ats-scholar.2020-0034OC). A follow-up peer reviewed manuscript has been published (https://www.atsjournals.org/doi/full/10.34197/ats-scholar.2023-0051IN) Regarding the mastery learning project for mechanical ventilation in respiratory therapists, we have collected survey and test data from June 2017 and January 2018 (N=15). We also collected survey and test data from a second set of respiratory therapists at the VA Pittsburgh (n=14) before and after a day of mechanical ventilation education in spring of 2018 and repeated this with a second day of education in spring 2019. We have conducted the statistical analysis (by linear mixed model) to determine whether the 2 days of Boot Camp education improves test performance and subjective comfort with interpretation of ventilator waveforms. We published the results in a peer-reviewed manuscript (Respir Care. 2022 Dec;67(12):1597-1602. doi: 10.4187/respcare.09903.) Regarding the respiratory physiology mastery learning, we have started the curriculum and pre-test with fellows in July 2021 and 2022. We administered a 15-item multiple choice physiology test to the incoming critical care fellows in multiple fellowship programs in Baltimore, Washington DC, and Pittsburgh-same institutions involved the mastery learning in mechanical ventilation project. The fellows performance were reassessed at the end of each year of fellowship to gauge the progress in physiology knowledge throughout their training. A manuscript is under peer review at this time for consideration of publication. We published the results in a peer-reviewed manuscript (https://www.atsjournals.org/doi/full/10.34197/ats-scholar.2024-0036OC)