Evaluating the Impact of Structured Sleep Medicine Lecture Series in Family Medicine Residents

Context Sleep medicine education within ACGME-accredited specialties is often limited. Family medicine residencies typically provide minimal didactic exposure to sleep medicine. Research shows an average of only 4.75 hours of sleep-related didactics per year, with fewer than 10% of graduates pursuing sleep medicine fellowships. At UT Southwestern (UTSW), only 9 out of 1200 didactic hours (less than 1%) have focused on sleep medicine in the past five years. This lack of exposure can create gaps in patient care and discourage trainees from specializing. This study assesses UTSW residents' confidence and competence in sleep medicine before and after three lecture series.

Objectives The primary aim is to evaluate how a dedicated lecture series impacts residents' knowledge, confidence, and competency in sleep medicine. The study aims to identify improvements in residents' ability to manage sleep disorders and assess interest in pursuing further specialization.

Study Design & Analysis Pre- and post-intervention surveys were distributed via SurveyMonkey before and after the lecture series. Surveys covered confidence, competency, and knowledge in managing sleep disorders. Comparative analysis measured changes in residents' knowledge and confidence.

Setting & Dataset Data from pre- and post-surveys were collected anonymously via SurveyMonkey by email.

Population Studied The study involved 42 residents in the UTSW family medicine residency program. The pre-survey had a 52% response rate (22 residents), and the post-survey had a 42% response rate (18 residents).

Intervention The intervention comprised three one-hour lectures on sleep medicine, covering fundamentals, common disorders, and management. Surveys assessed confidence, competency, and knowledge.

Outcome Measures Primary outcomes included self-reported adequacy of sleep education, confidence in managing disorders, and performance on knowledge questions. Secondary outcomes assessed interest in sleep medicine fellowships.

Results Pre-intervention, 50% of residents felt inadequately educated in sleep medicine. Post-intervention, 83% felt adequately educated. Competence improved, with 83% correctly answering one of three sleep disorder questions (45% on pre-test).

Conclusions Adding three hours of sleep education markedly increased residents' confidence and competency. This highlights the need for enhanced exposure to improve patient care and stimulate interest in fellowship opportunities.