A recent study published in The American Journal of Gastroenterology examined gastroenterology fellowship programs' readiness for competency-based evaluation in endoscopic procedural training.
Here are seven things to know about the study.
1. The study authors surveyed GI program directors and trainees accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. The survey was designed to evaluate domains relevant to endoscopy training and competency assessment.
2. Of the program directors that responded to the survey, 23 percent reported they did not have a formal endoscopy curriculum.
3. Program directors placed less importance on endoscopy volume, adenoma detection rate and withdrawal rates in determining competency compared with trainees.
4. The majority of program directors (85 percent) reported that competency is assessed by procedure volume. Ninety-six percent of program directors reported teaching attending valuations as the primary tool for assessing competency.
5. The minority of program directors (30 percent) reported using skills assessment tools. Just 28 percent of program directors reported using specific quality measures.
6. Program directors rated their overall quality of endoscopy training and competency assessment as better than overall ratings from trainees.
7. The research authors concluded most training programs rely on procedure volume and subjective attending evaluations to determine overall competency. The authors suggest there is a need for improved endoscopy curriculum.