Recent Publications by CFE Educators

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related mortality for men and women in the United States. Screening for lung cancer with annual low-dose CT is saving lives, and the continued implementation of lung screening can save many more. In 2015, the CMS began covering annual lung screening for those who qualified based on the original United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) lung screening criteria, which included patients 55 to 77 year of age with a 30 pack-year history of smoking, who were either currently using tobacco or who had smoked within the previous 15 years. In 2021, the USPSTF issued new screening guidelines, decreasing the age of eligibility to 80 years of age and pack-years to 20. Lung screening remains controversial for those who do not meet the updated USPSTF criteria, but who have additional risk factors for the development of lung cancer. The American College of Radiology Appropriateness Criteria are evidence-based guidelines for specific clinical conditions that are reviewed annually by a multidisciplinary expert panel. The guideline development and revision process support the systematic analysis of the medical literature from peer reviewed journals. Established methodology principles such as Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation or GRADE are adapted to evaluate the evidence. The RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method User Manual provides the methodology to determine the appropriateness of imaging and treatment procedures for specific clinical scenarios. In those instances where peer reviewed literature is lacking or equivocal, experts may be the primary evidentiary source available to formulate a recommendation.

PURPOSE

The aims of this quality improvement project were to improve understanding and perceived confidence in using a tool that assesses patients at risk of violence.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The Brøset Violence Checklist is valid at assessing patients at risk of violence. Participants were given access to an e-learning module that demonstrated how to use the tool. Improvement in understanding and perceived confidence in using the tool were assessed preintervention and postintervention via an investigator-developed survey. Analysis of the data was conducted using descriptive statistics, and open-ended survey responses were analyzed using content analysis.

OUTCOME

Participants did not demonstrate an increase in understanding and perceived confidence after introduction of the e-learning module. Nurses reported that the Brøset Violence Checklist was easy to use, clear, reliable, and accurate and could be used to standardize assessments of at-risk patients.

CONCLUSION

Emergency department nursing staff were educated in use of a risk assessment tool for identifying patients at risk of violence. This supported the implementation and integration of the tool into emergency department workflow.

The practice of oncology continues to evolve over time. Educators find themselves in a position where they are no longer able to teach a topic in its entirety. Moreover, the rapid expansion of information available through research and discovery in the field of oncology makes it difficult for learners to process the constant barrage of new content. Lecturers continue to impart knowledge using didactic techniques, often trying to include as much material as possible in the time permitted. The question becomes: In the face of an impossibly large field, how can one assist learners in learning, and retaining, what is most important? The science of learning continues to develop, and we now recognize that there are ways to teach that optimally facilitate the retention and application of knowledge. By using these strategies, educators can make it easier for learners to absorb and retain key information. This article will touch upon several such techniques: cognitive load optimization, analogy, contrasting cases, elaboration, and just-in-time telling. By applying these methods to didactic presentations, educators can ensure that their lessons are heard, understood, and ultimately transformed into something unforgettable.