Brief intervention to improve diagnosis and treatment knowledge of skin disorders by family medicine residents

Background and Objectives: Family medicine residents encounter and treat a significant number of skin diseases. It is important for them to make correct diagnostic and treatment decisions for these diseases. Our study was done to assess residents' competence in diagnosing and treating skin disorders before and after a brief educational intervention. Methods: A questionnaire containing photographs of 40 skin conditions was administered to 45 family medicine residents, who were asked to identify the conditions shown in the photos. The subsequent intervention consisted of a lecture by a senior resident and a photographic quick reference guide, which was given to each resident. A posttest was administered 8 months later to again assess residents' ability to identify skin conditions. For comparisons of pretest and posttest performance, t tests were used. Results: Participants showed significant improvement in both diagnosing (from 22.3% correct to 54.9% correct) and providing treatment recommendations (from 15.4% correct to 48.5% correct) for skin disorders. Conclusions: A peer-prepared lecture combined with a take-home photographic quick reference guide is an effective way to improve a family medicine resident's knowledge of skin disorders.