Teaching family practice residents breast cyst aspiration

OBJECTIVE To conduct the first study of teaching family practice residents the technique of breast cyst aspiration (BCA) using the Toronto Breast Cyst Aspiration Model (TBCAM) in a workshop. To determine whether this training increases their likelihood of performing the procedure in the future. To d iscover how residents evaluate the workshop as a teaching method. DESIGN Prospective parallel-group trial from August to November 1997. Basel ine questionnaires were given to both experimental and control groups in Au gust. The experimental group was given a 1.5-hour workshop and a postworksh op questionnaire. Both groups were then given 3-month follow-up questionnai res. SETTING Family practice residency program at the University of Toronto. PARTICIPANTS The experimental group consisted of 15 family practice residen ts from one university-affiliated hospital site. The control group consiste d of 54 family practice residents selected from the remaining sites. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Confidence score, likelihood of performing BCA, and e ffectiveness of the workshop rated on a Likert scale ranging from 1-low to 5-high; and knowledge of BCA rated from 0 to 7. RESULTS Three months after the workshop, 62% of study subjects and 31% of c ontrols were above the median confidence score of 3.2 (chi(2) 3.4, P > .05) ; 76% of subjects but only 11% of controls were above the median knowledge score of 4 (chi(2) 16.67, P < .001); and 75% of subjects and 34% of control s were above the median likelihood to perform score of 3 (chi(2) 5.37, P < .05). Most (95%) workshop effectiveness scores were 4s or 5s. CONCLUSIONS Workshop training resulted in higher confidence, greater knowle dge, and more likelihood of performing EGA. The workshop using the TBCAM wa s evaluated as a highly effective way to teach BCA.