Identifying the Gaps: Needs Assessment to Guide Development of a Dedicated Toxicology Curriculum for Emergency Medicine Residents

Introduction The American Board of Emergency Medicine identifies medical toxicology as an essential curricular element for emergency medicine (EM) residencies; however, access to medical toxicology education varies widely by institution. We hypothesized that EM residents are uncomfortable with core toxicology content and would be interested in a dedicated toxicology curriculum. Methods An electronic needs assessment survey developed by experts in EM and medical toxicology was sent to residents and program leadership at nine EM programs participating in the Emergency Medicine Education Research Alliance (EMERA), a geographically diverse sampling of academic EM residency programs. We queried the presence of a current toxicology curriculum, interest in a dedicated toxicology curriculum, and comfort with core toxicology concepts for board examinations and in clinical practice. Results A total of 148 residents and 8 faculty leadership completed the survey. Only 29% of resident respondents felt comfortable with toxicology concepts, and only 66% of respondents reported access to a toxicology curriculum. Of those without a known toxicology curriculum, most were interested in a formal curriculum. Faculty respondents reported 6/8 programs offered a toxicology curriculum. Faculty at the two programs without a formal curriculum expressed interest in a dedicated curriculum. Conclusions Emergency medicine residents remain uncomfortable with the core toxicology content in clinical practice. The majority of residents without a known toxicology curriculum would be interested in a dedicated toxicology curriculum.