Development of a technical paediatric polysomnography training program for clinical measurement practitioners: Pilot evaluation

Abstract

Introduction: Polysomnography (PSG) is an important clinical tool in the diagnosis of sleep-disordered breathing and other sleep disorders in children. This educational program was developed to provide clinicians, nurses and technologists working in our tertiary paediatric sleep medicine service with practical and theoretical information required to undertake paediatric PSG in accordance with current AASM guidelines and standards. The program developed consists of both an online theoretical component and a face-to-face practical assessment. The aim of this study was to evaluate different aspects of the newly developed education program including relevance of content, usability of the online interface, user confidence and competence in undertaking paediatric Polysomnography Set Up in accordance with current standards and guidelines. Method: 25 health professionals with varying PSG set up experience were enrolled in an Online Theoretical Program (OTP) with supporting video links covering all aspects of PSG Set Up in children. A Practical Assessment Component (PAC) followed completion of the OTP and was undertaken by each participant once the sleep nurse educator had deemed supervised practice adequate. The participants completed questionnaires recording previous experience, self-reported confidence levels, and perceptions before and after the OTP was completed. The evaluation used radial point scales form 0-10 and open-ended questions. In addition, a pre and post quiz data was analysed using a Paired t-test. Qualitative data analysis of responses was also used for the course evaluation. Results: The participants' responses to the survey indicated a higher level of confidence on practical and theoretical components of PSG set up at completion of the OTP program. Pre and post quiz results also indicated a marked improvement in knowledge (60% to 80% correct). Course evaluations indicated that the OLP was well-organised and provided a worthwhile training experience (100%). Further data analysis is planned prior to presentation to compare results for participants' pre and post quiz and evaluation at completion of the program. Discussion: A successful technical PSG-training program for health professionals, comprising an on-line learning component and a practical component, has been successfully piloted. Evaluation of the pilot shows the program is ready for wider implementation and can be further developed to incorporate other important technical aspects involved to ensure high quality paediatric PSGs are obtained. This can then be utilised to provide comprehensive orientation for new staff and regular refresher training for existing staff within our service, as well as used as a model for other centres to develop their own programs.L6342517412021-03-02 <br />