(128) Use of an Online Oral Contraceptive Pill Teaching Module among Resident Physicians

Background: Learning oral contraceptive pill (OCP) pharmacology is part of resident education. While there are many textbook chapters that teach about OCPs, there is not an accessible online teaching module.

Methods: An online OCP teaching module was developed by three pediatric adolescent gynecologists and one general OBGYN. The module instructed on estrogen and progestin pharmacology, how OCPs impact organ systems, the differences in packaging and pill formulations and how to read and understand pill labels. It also included multiple case studies to guide learners through decision making for determining the best OCP for individual patients. The curriculum was formatted in short videos with interactive activities following each topic.
Following IRB approval, the module was piloted at a single institution during a scheduled didactic. OBGYN residents completed a pre-test which evaluated their experience in prescribing OCPs and comfort level with changing formulations and understanding pill labels and pill pharmacology with Likert scale responses. Each resident completed the online curriculum individually. They then completed a post-test assessing the same self-efficacy questions and also evaluating the module as a teaching tool. All data was anonymous, and response proportions were compared with Chi square.

Results: 10 female OBGYN residents participated in the pilot study with range in training from first to fourth year of residency. There was an increase in subjects reporting on the post-test that they were “very comfortable” in initiating an OCP prescription, explaining how to take OCPs, explaining side effects, and understanding the risks of taking OCPs, but these increases were not statistically significant. Subjects reporting that they “understand very well” estrogen and progestin pharmacology increased from 40% on the pre-test to 90% on the post-test, p=0.019. The proportion reporting improved comfort with changing pill formulations based on patient concerns, and understanding how to read pill labels also increased significantly on the post-test, p= 0.006 and p=0.025 respectively (Figure 1). All residents responded that the module was comprehensive and 90% reported that it was easy to navigate and a useful teaching tool. Residents gave positive and constructive feedback on the module (Table 1). Data collection is ongoing with pediatric residents at the same institution and OBGYN and pediatric residents at two other institutions

Conclusions: On online OCP teaching module can be a useful tool to improve resident understanding of pharmacology, and improved confidence in prescribing OCPs based on patients' needs.