Utilisation of expert-led multidisciplinary team discussions in improving the knowledge and confidence of gastroenterologists’ management of upper gastrointestinal bleeds within a formalised haemostasis course

Objective Repeated surveys have demonstrated that senior gastroenterology trainees lack confidence and experience in managing acute upper gastrointestinal (UGI) bleeds. Whilst no current formalised sign-off exists, this is an area of interest and development among stakeholders. We developed a course to address this gap in training and our aim was to evaluate its impact on delegate knowledge and perceived confidence. Method A 1-day course was developed comprising case-based discussions and small group hands-on training stations. A variety of complex real-life bleed cases were discussed through interactive expert-guided discussion. Delegates completed a pre-course and post-course multiple choice assessment using haemostasis scenarios. The primary outcome was to assess both confidence and knowledge before and after our intervention. Secondary outcomes included perceived acceptability, benefit of case-based multidisciplinary team (MDT) discussions and effectiveness of hands-on stations. Results A total of 58 delegates took part across two cycles of the course a year apart. The median knowledge score for the pre-course quiz was 58.33% (CI=3.45), rising to 75% (CI=4.33) post-course (p<0.05). The median confidence score prior to the course was 6.42/10, rising to 8.58/10 after (p<0.05). All delegates felt the course met their requirements. The perceived effectiveness of MDT discussions was 4.87/5, and all hands-on stations received positive feedback, averaging 4.62/5. Conclusions Our educational intervention proved beneficial in increasing delegates’ confidence and knowledge in managing UGI bleeds. We believe that a UGI haemostasis course could be embedded in training programmes to improve UGI bleeding management competence.