Evaluation

Assessing the Impact of Genomic Pathology Training

Individual Programs

In 2016, results the success of the initial three TRIG live workshops were published as an “Educational Innovation” in the Journal of Graduate Medical Education. 

Over 95% of participants responded that they would recommend the workshop to other residents.
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To assess objective outcomes, a genomic oncology exam, testing both knowledge and performance-based skills was developed and validated using Rasch analysis, a method typically used in high-stakes testing. With results published in 2020 in the Archives of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, the exam was administered to residents both immediately prior and after a TRIG workshop. There was significant improvement in exam performance after the workshop, with a mean preworkshop score of 37.5% (range, 17%–61%) and a mean postworkshop score of 75% (range, 50%–100%; P < .001). This exam was also used to demonstrate the efficacy of online modules that translate the live team-based learning experience to a virtual format. Please contact us to obtain a copy of the exam and answer key.

Workshops held at the annual meetings at the American Heart Association (AHS), American Academy of Neurology (AAN), and American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) have also been positively reviewed by participants. Data has been published in Circulation: Genomic and Precision Medicine, on a successful workshop held at an AHA Scientific Sessions Meeting.   

The TFIG curriculum is currently being piloted at over 10 fellowship programs. Feedback is being collected from both participating fellows and instructors.  

National Assessments

The TRIG approach to genomic education has also involved assessing trainee genomic knowledge nationally.  The Pathology Resident In-Service Exam (RISE) is administered, by the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP), to almost all pathology residents in the United States. The assessment included knowledge questions, first implemented as ungraded but subsequently made an official component of the exam, and those related to subjective impressions of training. An initial publication in the American Journal of Clinical Pathology included data from the 2013 RISE with a with an update published in 2020.

The RISE-FIRST, also administered by ASCP, has been used to nationally assess medical student training in genomics. This exam is given nationally to post-graduate year 1 (PGY-1) pathology residents.  Results from the 2019 RISE-FIRST have been published in Genetics in Medicine. 

The use of the RISE and RISE-FIRST represent a unique approach, trainee in-service exams, to gauge genomics curricular integration into medical education on a national scale.

Testimonials

Discover how Triggenomics is transforming lives and advancing healthcare through the voices of those who have experienced our work firsthand.

TRIG
“This workshop significantly deepened my understanding of molecular and genomic pathology, particularly in how these fields are transforming patient care. It reinforced the critical role of molecular diagnostics in tailoring personalized treatment, especially through the use of cancer gene panels. I now have a greater appreciation for the complexity and precision involved in selecting the right panels, interpreting results, and applying them to clinical decisions.”
WORKSHOP TESTIMONIAL
“The workshop “was very well organized and helped me understand what resources and websites to use in which cases and scenarios- it will help me practice molecular pathology better in the future.”
WORKSHOP TESTIMONIAL
“It helped me understand the strengths and the weaknesses of molecular assays, the uncertainties (Variants of unknown significance) and I learned about the online tools available to tackle these uncertainties.”
WORKSHOP TESTIMONIAL
“100% would recommend for their residency program.”
WORKSHOP TESTIMONIAL
UTRIG
“They say pathology/lab is the "black box" of medicine, and I had viewed molecular pathology as the "black box" of pathology! It is certainly much less of a black box, and I'm excited that I now have a foundation to build upon when I start residency next year. Instead of spending the time trying to just figure out the basics, I'll be able to spend the time on what results mean for my patients.”
WORKSHOP TESTIMONIAL
“This workshop was a sobering reminder of the vast scope of molecular and genomic pathology. What may seem simple on the surface from prior coursework experience is actually a deep well of information. The workshop reminded me that accurately accessing, understanding, and interpreting said data requires the combined expertise of many medical professionals, and that counseling patients about the implications of genetic testing must be done carefully and conscientiously.”
WORKSHOP TESTIMONIAL
“Very fun and interesting, I am now considering molecular/genomic pathology much more seriously, and even if I end up going into a different specialty these .”
WORKSHOP TESTIMONIAL