2004 CAG Educational Needs Assessment Reportdownloads.hindawi.com/journals/cjgh/2005/814851.pdf · Conducting a needs assessment is a requirement for accred-itation of educational

Can J Gastroenterol Vol 19 No 2 February 2005 113

The annual survey of Canadian Association of

Gastroenterology (CAG) members’ educational needs

was conducted online during May and June 2004. Sixty-

eight members (7.4%) completed the needs assessment. It

was determined that the topic most in demand for future

educational events, similar to previous years, was inflamma-

tory bowel disease (IBD) from the clinical perspective. Also

highly rated were the clinical topics of endoscopy, upper

gastrointestinal bleeding and viral hepatitis. Educational

materials were by far judged to be the most valuable com-

ponent of exhibit areas (91%), and 43% reported repeated

use of the online CAG Interactive Lecture Series.

Additionally, 90% of respondents agreed that they would

use an online Canadian atlas of endoscopy if available.

However, given the very small proportion of CAG members

completing the needs assessment, results should be inter-

preted with caution.

The purpose of the CAG needs assessment was to pro-

vide guidance to the Executive and the CAG Education

Committee on areas of greatest educational need.

Conducting a needs assessment is a requirement for accred-

itation of educational events according to the Royal

College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada accreditation

criteria.

METHODS

The Education Committee consists of Drs Janice Barkey,

Jamie Gregor, John Fardy, Dana Farina, Marty Fishman,

Terrence Moore, Alaa Rostom, Richard Schreiber and

Connie Switzer. The needs assessment was the same as that

used in 2003, apart from the addition of two questions.

Members were requested by e-mail to visit the CAG Web

site to complete the simple ‘tick box’ survey. Data were

compiled and analyzed at the CAG National Office.

The needs assessment included four sections. The first sec-

tion collected basic demographic information; the second

questioned members on their interest in topics for educational

events from a basic science, clinical and pediatric perspec-

tive; the third examined needs for the exhibit area; and the

fourth section explored actual use of the online Interactive

Lecture Series and potential use, if available, of an online

Canadian atlas of endoscopy.

Respondents were asked to rate their interest in

33 potential topics for educational events using a scale of

1 to 7, where 1 = no interest and 7 = extremely interested.

For exhibits, respondents selected those items of greatest

value to them. The actual and anticipated use of the

Interactive Lecture Series and an online atlas of endoscopy,

respectively, were assessed by frequency category.

RESULTS

Sixty-eight members (7.4%) of the solicited (917 with e-mail

addresses) membership completed the needs assessment.

Demographics

Of the respondents, 72% were men and 28% were women.

Regarding education, 82% were MDs, approximately 4%

were MD/PhDs, approximately 4% were PhDs and 9% held

another degree. The majority of respondents (68%) were

predominantly hospital- rather than community-based.

Most replies were from Ontario members (34%), followed

by Alberta (18%), Quebec (16%) and British Columbia

(13%), with responses distributed roughly in proportion to

provincial population.

2004 CAG Educational Needs Assessment

Report

Ronald Bridges MD FRCPC

Chair, CAG Education Committee

CAG NEWS PAGE

En français voir page 117

INC. JANUARY 12, 1962

The CAG is proud to acknowledge its Benefactor Corporate Sponsors:

Abbott Laboratories Ltd. AstraZeneca Canada Inc. Axcan Pharma Inc.

Janssen-Ortho Inc. Pfizer Canada Inc. Schering Canada Inc.

bridges.qxd 1/28/2005 11:38 AM Page 113

Can J Gastroenterol Vol 19 No 2 February 2005114

CAG News

Examining respondents’ primary role, 56% were gas-

troenterologists, 6% identified hepatology as their focus,

3% were in pediatrics and 3% were surgeons. Basic and

clinical scientists made up 13% and 1%, respectively, of

respondents. Residents accounted for 12%, and “other”

roles for 6%.

Regarding where respondents spend their time, 71%

identified clinical practice as their primary focus, and 16%

noted basic research. Teaching accounted for 3%, with 10%

reporting “other” duties.

Educational topics

The mean interest score for the 27 scientific educational

topics, from the perspectives of basic science, clinical sci-

ence and pediatrics, are shown in Figures 1 and 2. As in pre-

vious years, the highest mean interest score recorded (5.2)

was for education in clinical IBD, followed closely by the

mean interest score for clinical endoscopy (4.8). IBD con-

tinues to be the highest-scored topic within each of the cat-

egories of clinical, basic science and pediatrics, despite

holding IBD clinical and basic science symposia at

Canadian Digestive Diseases Week this past February.

Clinical sessions on upper gastrointestinal bleeding and

viral hepatitis (each scored as 4.4) were also much in

demand. Mean scores for the remaining topics ranged from

2.2 to 4.2 for clinical topics, 1.6 to 4.1 for basic science top-

ics and 1.1 to 2.3 for pediatrics.

Responses for nonscientific educational event topics are

given in Figure 3. The highest scores of 3.9 for “Developing

effective presentations” and 3.8 for “GI and the internet”

were still lower than the top-scored clinical topics.

Exhibits

Replies to the question “Which of the following would be

most valuable to you in an exhibit area?” are shown in Figure 4.

Respondents were allowed to select more than one item;

thus, percentages do not sum to 100%. The overwhelming

favourite, selected by 91%, was Educational Materials, with

Product Information on Efficacy a distant second at 63%.

Interactive lecture series

Forty-three per cent of respondents reported accessing

the lecture series repeatedly, while 38% had never used

the e-library (Figure 5).

Online atlas of endoscopy

The vast majority of respondents (90%) agreed that, if

available, they would use an online Canadian atlas of

endoscopy (Figure 6).

DISCUSSION

It is disappointing that so few completed the needs assessment

this year, with only 7.4% of the membership (68 individuals)

participating. It is unlikely that this is related to the online

Score: 1=No interest, 7=Extremely interested

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format given that last year’s e-survey saw a 24% (187 mem-

bers) completion rate, comparable with paper-based surveys.

It is possible that the low response was due to the knowledge

that a Canadian Digestive Diseases Week will not be held in

2005, because the World Congress of Gastroenterology will

take place in Montreal in September 2005. The results of this

needs assessment should be interpreted with caution because

they represent only a small portion of the membership.

Can J Gastroenterol Vol 19 No 2 February 2005 115

CAG News

How often have you used the CAG Interactive Lecture Serieslibrary of presentations?

Never (38%)

Once (19%)

2-5 times (28%)

6-10 times (9%)

>10 times (6%)

Figure 5) Use of the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology(CAG) Interactive Lecture Series library of presentations availableonline for use with CD-ROM

If available, how often would you use an online Canadian Atlas of Endoscopy (images, videos)?

Unlikely to use (10%)

From time to time (51%)

Monthly (24%)

Weekly (15%)

Figure 6) Anticipated use of an online Canadian atlas of endoscopy, ifmade available


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2004 CAG Educational Needs Assessment Reportdownloads.hindawi.com/journals/cjgh/2005/814851.pdf · Conducting a needs assessment is a requirement for accred-itation of educational