Expanded newborn screening in Texas: a survey and educational module addressing the knowledge of pediatric residents

Purpose: To assess the effectiveness of an educational module as a tool for improving the knowledge of pediatric residents about newborn screening and its expansion in Texas. Methods: The study population consisted of 63 pediatric residents from the University of Texas at Houston, Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, and the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. Residents were invited to participate in the study (luring daily scheduled didactic lectures in their respective residency programs. Questionnaires were distributed to the residents both before and after the presentation of an educational module about newborn screening in Texas to assess whether knowledge was gained from the presentation. Results: Analysis of questionnaires from the full group of participants showed a substantial increase in knowledge about newborn screening in Texas after the presentation of the educational module. This included a 45.4% increase in knowledge about pre-expansion newborn screening conditions and a 308.4% increase in knowledge about expanded newborn screening conditions (P <= 0.001). Conclusions: Our results suggest that an educational module about newborn screening like the one we created for this study would be an effective tool for improving the knowledge of pediatric residents on a larger scale. Genet Med 2009:11(3):163-168.