BRONCHOSCOPY EDUCATION AND TRAINING

Abstract

Bronchoscopy is an essential tool in the management of patients with pulmonary diseases. With availability of several new modalities, and a shift from diagnostic to therapeutic bronchoscopy, bronchoscopy education and training are becoming crucial. There is a focus on competence-based training as well as a heightened concern about patient safety. The traditional apprenticeship model is inadequate to address the current needs. There is a wide variation in the training currently offered at the pulmonary training programs, with deficiency in several keymodalities like transbronchial needle aspirate. Web-based curriculums and workshops are available and studies show their beneficial impact. Simulation models have revolutionized the education of conventional and endobronchialultrasound bronchoscopy in the last decade. Several studies have shown that simulators improve and hasten the learning process, and the skills learned on a simulator are transferrable to the real patients. Ongoing studies are investigating a cognitive and skill based assessment tool for credentialing.