Background/Purpose: A proper foundation in immunology is essential for the understanding and management of rheumatic conditions. An effective immunology curriculum is required for rheumatology trainees to meet the core competencies mandated by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. However, we have demonstrated that Canadian Rheumatology Program Directors and trainees believe that current immunology curricula, teaching and resources require significant improvement. We have developed a short video clip highlighting a well-defined immunology topic and assessed its role in facilitating relevant knowledge acquisition in rheumatology trainees.

Methods: We enlisted an Education Information Technology (EIT) student to create a five-minute immunology video clip on T cell development. The topic was identified as “high yield” by rheumatology Program Directors and trainees across Canada.  Adobe Illustrator and After Effects were used to design the video. Immunology and rheumatology experts assisted in the creation of the video content. The video was piloted on adult and pediatric rheumatology trainees at the University of Toronto and semi-structured qualitative feedback was obtained. Additionally, a quiz based on contents of the video was administered to the trainees before and after its viewing. The teaching effectiveness of this tool was evaluated by comparing pre and post video scores.

Results: A total of fourteen rheumatology trainees (eleven adult and three pediatric) participated in the video testing. All participants identified the immunology video as easy to follow and stimulating. Participating residents described the immunology video as “engaging, excellent and effective.” All trainees agreed that similar immunology video clips would be a valuable addition to their current immunology curriculum. There was a significant improvement observed between pre and post-testing (p < 0.0001).  The average pre-test score was 50.6% (+/- 26.9), compared to an average post test score of 85% (+/- 14.9).  There was an average improvement in scores of 34.4% (+/- 22.2) with a 95% confidence interval of 22.7%-46.0%.  While only 5/14 participants received a passing score as set by our departmental guidelines (≥ 70%) on the pre-test, 13/14 participants successfully passed the post-test. Thirteen rheumatology trainees (10 adult and 3 pediatric) participated in repeat post-testing approximately three months later.  Knowledge retention was demonstrated, with an average quiz score of 77.15 % (+/- 14.61).

Conclusion: Our pilot immunology video clip was an effective tool for improving short-term comprehension of a focused immunology topic amongst rheumatology trainees. Furthermore, knowledge was retained three months thereafter. These results are encouraging, and support the development of further immunology videos. This teaching aid has great potential as an educational deliverable, helping to improve and standardize immunology training.

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ACR Meeting Abstracts - https://acrabstracts.org/abstract/effective-knowledge-transfer-a-demonstration-of-video-illustration-in-the-immunology-curriculum-for-rheumatology-trainees/