Introduction to Sleep Medicine on Blackboard
Saint Louis University School of Medicine
Saint Louis, MI
Program Director: Ravi P. Nayak, MD.
Type of Program: Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine
Abstract Authors: Joseph Roland D. Espiritu, MD, MSPH, and Ravi P. Nayak, MD.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This an introductory course designed on Blackboard for pulmonary and critical care medicine fellows rotating through the SLUCare Sleep Disorders Center, focusing on the principles and practice of sleep medicine.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
- The fellow will be able to explain the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying sleep and wakefulness.
- The fellow will be able to discuss the adverse health consequences of poor sleep quality and quantity.
- The fellow will be able to list the diagnostic criteria for common sleep-related breathing disorders.
- The fellow will be able to propose further diagnostic work-up for common sleep-related breathing disorders.
- The fellow will be able to discuss therapeutic options for common sleep-related breathing disorders.
COURSE MATERIALS
All suggested readings (articles, book or manual chapter excerpts, etc.) will be uploaded under the Introduction to Sleep Medicine Course site on Blackboard.
TYPES OF COURSEWORK AND ASSIGNMENTS
- A pre-test to determine the fellow’s baseline knowledge about the principles and practice of sleep medicine.
- Validated sleep questionnaires to familiarize the fellows with the tools used in evaluating patient with sleep disorders:
- A self-completed Epworth Sleepiness and Fatigue Severity Scales
- A self-completed sleep diary
- A self-completed Morningness and Eveningness questionnaire
- A self-completed Insomnia Severity Scale
- A self-completed Beck’s Depression and Anxiety Inventory
- A self-completed Restless Legs Syndrome Rating Scale
- A formal case presentation, in which the fellow will present his/her clinical findings, assessment, and diagnostic and therapeutic management plans on a specific interesting patient.
- Sleep Medicine Seminars, a series of interactive didactic sessions to discuss the basic principles of sleep neurophysiology and epidemiology, as well as pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management of common sleep-related breathing disorders.
- A post-test to determine the increment in knowledge gained during the course.
INNOVATIONS
- All suggested reading materials (practice parameters, review articles, etc.) will be accessible via Blackboard.
- Weekly announcements via e-mail will be sent to the fellows to remind them of the topic and suggested reading for each week’s Sleep Medicine Seminar.
- Sleep Medicine Seminars will be recorded on Tegrity to allow fellows to review the lecture as needed.
- Pre-test and post-test will be administered via Blackboard for rapid scoring of test results 5. Anonymous composite feedback from the fellows about the course content and instructors will collected by the fellowship coordinator.
EVALUATION OF THE COURSE
- Pre- and post-test performance comparison.
