| Abstrakt: |
BACKGROUND: Curriculum about occupational and environmental exposures is not frequently incorporated into medical training. With recent media events covering environmental disasters and spills, and expansion of healthcare and benefits for Veterans exposed to toxic substances following passage of the August 2022 PACT Act, patients will likely have more questions about environmental exposures. Medical providers need to be well-versed in health effects related to toxic exposures to respond to the needs of patients and society at large. OVERVIEW: A hybrid two-week curriculum was developed to help resident physicians explore the relationship between toxic exposures and health outcomes especially with respect to deployment-related environmental exposures and illnesses. Additional goals include acquiring the skills to take a thorough exposure history, and appreciating the role of environmental health registries for tracking and monitoring the health of groups exposed to specific environmental hazards. This course implements a combination of methods found to be successful in prior OEM courses, especially in achieving learning objectives, improving attitudes towards OEM, and improving self-reported learning efficiency and quality of practice, including use of web-based models with active learning strategies and patient contacts. Active learning strategies include case-based activities (such as generating histories from the perspective of a patient, and developing targeted treatment plans through evidence-based medicine). Patient contacts include conducting Veteran Affairs (VA) environmental health registry exams which includes obtaining occupational/environmental histories, ordering relevant testing, and administering appropriate counseling. Activities are supplemented with additional curricula and examination through the American College of Preventive Medicine, enabling residents to complete the elective with a board-supported certification in military toxic exposures. DISCUSSION: This course helps providers understand pathways to benefits, how to elicit information about workers exposed to hazardous exposures, and how to monitor workers through surveillance and biomonitoring practices. The knowledge and practical skills developed in this course can be extrapolated to other settings, equipping medical providers with an expanded approach to health and disease prevention and management by including occupation and natural and built environments. Learning Objectives 1. The audience will learn about a course-development project that teaches resident physicians about toxic exposures and health outcomes, especially with respect to deployment-related environmental exposures and illnesses. 2. The audience will learn about a course-development project that teaches resident physicians to take a thorough exposure history, especially with respect to military exposures. 3. The audience will learn about a course-development project that teaches resident physicians about environmental health registries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
