16. Assessing Residents’ Knowledge of Dysmenorrhea in Adolescents and Young Adults

Abstract

Background

Our study sought to better understand residents’ knowledge of diagnosis and treatment of primary and secondary dysmenorrhea in adolescents and young adults and whether that knowledge could be improved by a brief educational intervention.

Methods

Residents in the Obstetrics and Gynecology and Pediatrics programs at the Medical University of South Carolina completed a pre-lecture survey, attended a focused lecture on dysmenorrhea, and completed a post-lecture survey. The average percent correct for the pre- and post-lecture surveys was compared.

Results

Twenty-three residents completed both the pre- and post-lecture surveys. The average score on the pre-lecture survey was 72% and the average score on the post-lecture survey was 92% (p < 0.05). Post-graduate year positively correlated with pre-lecture survey score, with PGY-1 through PGY-4 residents averaging 65%, 72%, 79%, and 82%, respectively, on the pre-lecture survey.

Conclusions

We found that an hour-long lecture resulted in a statistically significant improvement in survey scores, suggesting that a brief educational intervention can improve both comfort with and knowledge of the clinical management of these conditions. We also found that post-graduate year (PGY) positively correlated with pre-test score, suggesting that dysmenorrhea is something residents receive clinical exposure to during training and emphasizing the need for foundational education during resident didactics.