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Identifying Gaps in Laser Education in Urology Residency Programs
Kyle R. DeRoma, Lori B. Lerner
VA Boston Healthcare System
Background: Numerous laser technologies are utilized by urologists. The newest, thulium fiber lasers (TFL), have led to an increase in reported complications, particularly in the ureter. While the American Urological Association (AUA) has an on-line laser education module, there is no standard curriculum requirement at the program level. A prior AUA survey revealed that urologists do not report knowledge deficits and would not necessarily seek out education. We sought to understand gaps in knowledge surrounding laser technologies in the AUA New England (NE) Section to inform decisions around the annual Residents Skills Course and overall resident education.
Methods: The authors created an anonymous questionnaire with two focus sections – knowledge assessment with queries about basic laser physics and technologies any urologist should know, and a survey. This was presented to all academic urology training programs in the NE Section (n=12). Responders were encouraged to give their best guess rather than confer or look up answers.
Results: All 12 programs participated, with 62% (n=72) of all NE residents (PGY 1-5) and 62 attendings completing the survey. Responses are recorded in Table 1.
Conclusion: Gaps in knowledge surrounding laser technologies are significant. Urologists tend to overrate their knowledge, which can contribute to laser injuries. Standardized laser education curricula that are frequently updated and delivered on a recurring basis should improve overall knowledge and reduce risk for patient harm.
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